All's Fair in Love, War, and Madness: Book Two
by JadedWarrior
Summary: Read book One first, please! Find it through my profile! It continues Alice Preston's romance with her Hatter, in the midst of a tragedy that has ripped the two of them apart, perhaps forever.
1. Rain

_**All's Fair in Love, War, and Madness**_

_Book Two: Antithesis_

_....and Juxtaposition: thickest friends, and most mortal enemies. _

_**CHAPTER ONE: Rain**_

_There are no beginnings- Merely cycles of a vast, shining circle._

_-Anonymous_

Rain. Raindrops fell fast over the plain, and thick clouds subdued the castle's bright hues. Nature had rightly cast gloom upon this day- the sun had no right to shine. Not after all that had happened.

The Queen of Diamonds was dying. She had fought like a hundred men, but it had not been enough to save her from a well-placed arrow. It could have been anyone that fell. But it had to be the Queen. And each member of the Rebellion gathered around her in mourning, wishing that they had taken the blow instead.

But no one more than the young man lying in the shadows. He was almost unrecognizable, his top hat askew and his jacket stained in blood. He'd reappeared suddenly near the end of the battle, broken and bleeding. The Rebellion were busy routing the last of the Cards, and no one would have found him at all if Ferzin hadn't been chasing down a rogue soldier. The Queen of Diamonds' forces had been at the brink of defeat until almost the last moment. They were saved by a flock of Gyrefalcons- huge, dragon-like beasts, that swooped down from the heavens and unleashed their fury on the castle. It was truly a wonder to behold- the gigantic creatures loosing blasts of white lightning and tearing the steel Cards into dollrags. They were more than a match for the Red Soldiers, and once their grisly work was completed, the Rebellion stormed the castle. After purging it of the few Cards that remained, they were pleased to find the Queen of Hearts dead in her throne room. They assumed it was the work of their Champion.

None of them knew that the real perpetrator was gone- vanished from the castle soon after Percy appeared, shouting about Alice falling through a window. The Rebellion searched for hours, but came up empty, and were forced to conclude that Alice was gone.

Ferzin had never recalled seeing a Sadder Hatter. He glanced over at the shadows where Percy lay and cursed quietly. The boy was gone- he'd finally managed to slip away from the medics. (They'd had to knock him out before he'd consent to treatment- bloody Hatter wanted to search for his Alice.) He'd been run straight through, but whoever stabbed him hit too far to his side- his was only a flesh wound. A nasty flesh wound, but his organs were unscathed. He'd live.

But not if the blasted boy didn't sit still!

Ferzin marveled at how the Hatter had managed to stand, let alone sneak away from the Medics. But that was love, he reflected. It made you do ridiculous things.

The ape hobbled over to a group of survivors and sent them to search. He would've done it himself, but his place was by his Queen. So he waited, and prayed that the Hatter hadn't managed to get himself hurt.

But, inside, he knew the road ahead bore nothing but heartbreak for the poor Hatter- if he would find anything left of his Alice, it would be a body.

And the tears of the sky fell faster.

_How many more times am I going to wake up like this? _

Alice hurt everywhere. Sickening pain gripped her abdomen and head, and thousands of small gashes throbbed and stung in unison. But none of her bones felt broken. Shouldn't they have been, if she'd hit the ground? But she couldn't process this thought properly- it was all she could do to stay conscious, blinking the rain out of her eyes that tried to weigh down her eyelids, drawing her into the deep, dreamless sleep that waited at the edge of her vision...

"Alice?"

She tried to turn her head, but it wouldn't obey her. Instead, she glanced up, and saw a familiar, pale face swimming above her own.

"Oh, thank the fates- MEDIC!" he cried. "ALICE IS ALIVE! SHE'S OVER HERE!"

Her eyes fluttered again- nothing was making sense. _A hospital... shouldn't I be in a hospital? _Nothing was making sense- she was always where she thought she shouldn't be... the thought was almost enough to make her laugh, even through the pain that was almost enough to make her scream. What was wrong with her?

"P-percy?"

"Yes. It's me. Just hold on, Alice. Please." he begged, carefully taking hold of an undamaged hand. Cloaked figures ran towards them, medical kits in hand, but they were so terribly far away...

"What happened?" she croaked. She was trying to focus, because something told her the weariness at the edges of her vision was not a good thing.

"You fell through the windows in the throne room."

The memory bobbed to the surface slowly, and with it, came another.

"You were hurt. The Knave... you saved me, Alice."

Her gaze wandered to the bandages swathing his shoulder and side, but he waved a hand absently.

"This is nothing- you're much worse. Not as to say, you're bad, because surely you're the most wonderful creature I've ever met, but your injuries are much more severe than mine so I can't help but-"

She groaned as a fresh wave of pain washed over her, and Percy ceased his ramblings.

"Sorry. But the Medics are almost here, Alice."

"_You're too late." _

Percy opened his mouth to reply, but it was cut off in a strangled gasp.

The tip of a blade protruded from his front. Dead-center this time.

"PERCY!" Alice screamed. But it was too late- he'd fallen over, and a hooded figure rose behind him, cold laughter ringing in her ears.

"PERCY! NO!"

Alice gasped, starting awake. Again. Why again? She shook herself, clearing her mind. It was a dream. All a dream... she'd left the hospital four years ago. She'd never lay dying on the battlefield, the Knave had never killed Percy... everything was fine.

She laughed bitterly, raising her head. Fine? She was _not _fine. Her body ached with tiredness, her face smeared with watercolors and pastels. She'd fallen asleep at work. Again. She'd taken to working late at the studio, to make up for the lack of revenue from her pieces. It was not, she told herself, because she needed to take her mind off things. Because she didn't. There was nothing there to take-off, mindwise. Her uncle had inherited/stolen Grandma's farm in the name of "development," which meant that he was building his third private estate. He'd paved over the Rabbit Hole and all entrances to the Warrens that she knew of. She had spent months- years, searching for others, but she had found none.

She was never going to see Wonderland again.

It had taken four years to resign herself to that fact- and only because she simply stopped thinking about it. If she didn't dwell on that colorful, whimsical world, she could pass it off as a dream. The fuzzy memories mixing and slurring together, at other times bursting forth in technicolor clarity, were simple hallucinations. Because she didn't miss Wonderland, didn't miss a certain Hatter so fiercely that it hurt like a physical ache.

She didn't. She'd grown up- moved on. Amelia would have been proud.

_Squirrelbeard wouldn't have been. _

She forced the thought down, replacing it with an image of her apartment. Because that's what she did with thoughts of Wonderland- she shoved them away, because remembering when she could never return (Would there even be anything to return to?) was enough to bring the tears to her eyes.

Even after four years.

She glanced down at her desk, and sighed. The watercolors were smudged, the pencil lines askew, but she recognized the rabbit in the picture.

Banthrope, the Warrenmaster. She swept her arm across the table, sending the ruined picture and watercolors flying in all directions. Brushes clattered to the floor, and the ominous clink of shattering glass rocked the air. The debris settled among a jungle of wadded papers- mushrooms, castles, grinning cats- but most of all of an orange-eyed Hatter. Wonderland simply refused to lie dormant in her head- it seeped through her brushes and pencils, turning anything she drew into paper memory. She tried to paint a rabbit, but it looked horrid unless she added a waistcoat. She tried to sketch a man named Mark the other day- and he gave the drawing back. It had orange eyes.

Why? She wasn't even aware of making the changes- they flowed out of her of their own accord. Was Wonderland still punishing her for leaving it, even now? Couldn't it let her live her life in Elsewhere?

_But is it really living, if you don't enjoy it?_

There had been very little to enjoy in the last four years- Amelia had been married to a true horror named John, Alice had found an art career, but couldn't sell a single thing, and her Grandmother was dead. Without Per- _Grandmother, _in her life, things felt gloomier than ever.

There was no point pining over Wonder-other places, when she could never go back.

_So stop thinking about it already!_

"Alice? Are you all right?"

She jumped- unaware that she'd spoken her last words aloud. Tiffany had walked into the studio, looking nervous. Though Tiffany managed the studio, she was actually about Alice's age. Her dark hands and worn apron were smeared with white clay, and her flyaway hair was pulled into a loose bun. Her chocolate-brown eyes were wide with concern.

She said again, "Are you okay?"

Alice shook herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Tiff."

"No problem- your shift ended two hours ago, you know."

Alice sighed. "I know."

"Much as I love your work, you can't live up here. You'd best be getting home." She smiled a bit at that- while most people disapproved of Alice's wild use of colors, the strange, surreal characters she drew, Tiffany liked her art. If only they could sell it...

"I'm sorry for the trouble. I've just been trying to make something that'll sell..."

The manager sighed, sweeping her gaze across the mess on the floor.

"I understand. You can clean this up tomorrow. But before you go..." she glanced over her shoulder. "Albert's here."

Alice grimaced. "_Again_?"

While Tiffany, Alice, and her fellow artists might run the shop, Albert's father owned it. The young man had become quite taken with Alice and visited the shop annoyingly often.

"Can't we make him leave?"

"Sorry, Alice. He technically owns the place." Tiffany's gaze became grave. "Be careful, okay? I know he doesn't look like much, but Albert's used to getting what he wants. I don't think he's above following you home."

Alice nodded gravely- she lived only a few blocks from the studio and liked to walk to work and back.

"I've lived alone since I was eighteen, Tiff. I can handle Albert."

She smirked- She had killed a Bandersnatch and the Queen of Hearts' most deadly warrior. She wasn't about to run from one perverted college student.

_Still, if he snuck up on you..._

She shoved the thought away. She was overreacting.

_And she was thinking of Wonder-OTHER PLACES._

"Thanks, Tiff. Back door or front?"

Translation: Which one is Said Perverted College Student _not_ standing by?

"Sorry, Alice. I didn't keep track. You sure you don't want me to drive you home?"

"I'll be fine." she called, as she descended the stairs to the charming shop that lay below. "I can handle the Witless Wonder."

Sure enough, Albert was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, a sloppy grin pasted across his face. He was a tall, lanky fellow with red hair and watery blue eyes. Acne and freckles mingled on his pale, ferrety face, and thick glasses weighed down his nose. He was Nerd incarnate- though his expensive leather jacket and slacks rather ruined the effect. And his liquid eyes were sharp and cunning, not dull and unfocused. Alice noticed that a black top hat was perched on his head, and she sneered. He'd obviously gotten a hold of one of her (many) drawings of a (specific) person in a top hat, and had tried to replicate the effect.

_Ha. You wouldn't know the first thing about being a Mad Hatt- milliner. _

Albert was essentially a man very used to getting his way.

"Alice! I hoped I'd run into you here."

_That's because you memorized my schedule._

"I work here." she managed to growl, turning to avoid him. But he sidestepped, blocking her path to the door. He held one hand behind his back, obviously concealing flowers. Again. For the third time.

"It's right around eight-thirty, Alice- wouldn't you like to go out for-"

"No." she said flatly. "I'd like to go home. It's late, and I'm tired. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

But he again sidestepped her as she tried to leave.

"Now, now, Alice, no need to be rude. I can drive you home, if you'd like."

His eyes glittered with anticipation. Alice's lip curled.

_Get into a car with you? Fat chance._

"No thank you, Albert. I prefer to walk."

"But it's raining."

"I like the rain."

"But-"

"NO."

And with that, she shoved her way past him and marched towards the door.

"You'll change your mind eventually, Alice! Mark my words!"

SLAM.

Alice stomped out of the studio, muttering irritably under her breath. But it was difficult to remain angry for long- the rain seemed to wash it away, the soothing coolness of the drops releasing the anger boiling beneath her skin. She stood still for a moment, letting the water soak her hair and clothes and dance across her face. Reluctantly, she broke the spell and continued walking.

There was something magical about rain.

She had thought she wouldn't be able to enjoy anything after her last days in Wonderla... after her Grandmother's death. Guilt pricked at Alice's skin as she recalled that she'd spent only a little of the last few summers with her Grandmother, so intent had she been on Wonder- other things. The old woman had been her rock- the only real parent she'd ever had. Where was she now? Amelia had brought her up to believe in heaven. (Macbeth hadn't done much by the way of religious education.) Was that where she was now? Was Squirrelbeard there with her? Alice had never thought about where people who died in Wonderland went. She'd heard 'the fates' mentioned before. Were they Wonderlandian gods?

The thought of Wonderland brought back a wave of fresh memories, and tears stung Alice's eyes. She bit them back, glaring through her watery eyes.

_Stop it! What's with me today?_

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sound of footsteps on the pavement suddenly sounded- Alice turned, but saw no one.

Probably just somebody turning the corner. Nothing to be afraid of.

She was definitely sucky at this whole lying thing. But Alice steeled herself and walked onward- turning into another alley. She knew this route like the back of her hand. Alice was hardly conscious of walking; her feet knew where they were trying to go. All she had to do was put herself on autopilot.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Autopilot was great, but a couple of proton torpedoes would be better.

_Just keep walking._

Motion was important. It lent a feeling of purpose- and it helped order her tangled, fear-choked thoughts. It did nothing to suppress the growing prickling in the back of her neck, but it kept panic at bay. Her footsteps gave her thoughts rhythm, clarity.

_Think, Alice. This alley isn't a dead-end. You'll be at the end of it in a moment. Then it's another block to your apartment, and you're home free. Just keep walking...._

She inwardly sneered at herself. Jumping at shadows, that's what she was doing. Ha! She'd seen much worse than this.

But she refused to think of what or where she'd seen these things, because that would fall under 'thinking about it' which was something she was determined not to do. Not of_ that_ place, or of _him_...

A shadowed figure crossed into her peripheral vision, she recognized the top hat immediately- It was Albert.

Her pulse quickened. But it was okay, he wouldn't dare try anything. If he did, she was ready. She picked up her pace, and he sped his up to match. They were nearly out of the alley, it would be okay. She'd punch him for stalking her all this way, and then-

Alice froze in her tracks. She was staring at an impassable brick wall.

_WHAT?! I must have taken a wrong turn!_

Whose luck was this bad? The first guy who falls for her is a murderer, the second... and now she was stuck with Albert.

_Stuck alone, late at night, in an alley..._

She had heard this story on the news so many times, but never dreamed.... never, in her worst nightmare... A fleeting image of another man in a top hat beating Albert to a pulp flashed across her vision, and she bit back her tears. _He _would have been furious. But it would do no good...

"_Alice."_

That white-hot anger built up in her again, and when Albert touched her shoulder, she loosed a savage war cry and whirled around, elbowing him in the face. She launched herself upon him, forcing him to the ground, but he was too strong. With a grunt of effort, he flipped her off of him and pinned her down.

_NO! _

She shook the rain from her eyes and kneed him in the stomach, winding him. Now Alice had the upper hand, and the two of them were tussling, rolling in the alley, each trying to pin the other, Alice's heart racing desperately in her ears-

GRAAARGH!

With another savage growl, she punched Albert in the face and forced him to the ground. Alice was crouched over him, her hands pinning his shoulders to the ground. Both of them gasped for breath, and they stayed thus for a moment longer-

Until Alice wiped the rain from her eyes and took a good look at her assailant's face.

"_Percy?"_

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Yeah, yeah- I'm sure you guys totally called it. XD I've had that scene in my mind for ages... it feels weird to finally be writing it. o____O_

_Oh, and I know Percy could have easily won the fight with Alice, being Outlandish and whatever, but he was trying not to hurt her. Other plot holes will be explained shortly..._

_Thanks to all readers and reviewers! :D_


	2. Conversion

_**CHAPTER Two: Conversion**_

"_I will never doubt again." said Buttercup. Westley smiled._

"_There will never be a need."_

_-The Princess Bride_

"_Percy?"_

His top hat was askew, his right eye swollen shut- but his grin was as wild as ever, his eyes the same bright orange.

This was her Hatter, all right.

_Wait, the Hatter... Alice, you idiot! _

She leapt off of his chest, hauling him to his feet and murmuring a stream of apologies. There was more than a little redness in her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you were-"

"Don't be." he laughed. A huge weight seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders- he looked every bit the giddy schoolboy. "Why is it, that whenever we meet each other, at least one of us is sprawled on the ground?"

"Because you don't like to announce yourself." said Alice cheekily. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him- she feared if she looked away, he'd vanish. How many times had she dreamed of seeing the Hatter again? If she woke up at her desk again, if this was just a dream.. it would break her.

"You are..._ real_, aren't you?" she stuttered.

She gasped as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Does this feel real?" he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Because if it_ is_ a dream, I have no intention of waking."

She had almost forgotten how warm he was- how perfectly they seemed to fit together. For a moment, she laid her head on his chest, losing herself in the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Finally, though, she had to withdraw. She pulled back only a little, so she could look into his eyes- the shadows under them were darker, and a few new scars lined his face. There was something... almost _haunted _about him. In his eyes. And his right one-

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you, or I wouldn't have-"

He laid a gloved finger across her lips. He smiled, oblivious to his blackened eye and haggard appearance.

"It's not a problem." his voice dropped to a whisper. "I would gladly blacken_ both _eyes to see you again."

She grinned. "Then you wouldn't be able to _see_ anything, stupid!"

He laughed aloud- the alley seemed to get a little brighter. Heavens, she'd missed that laugh.

Alice couldn't believe how tattered and faded her memories had become. He was so much more vivid and colorful than she'd thought him- even more so against the dreary backdrop of the city. She re-memorized everything- his face, his smile. It seemed he had aged just as she had; he was taller, his jaw a little stronger, though not a trace of stubble lined his face. For the life of him, he still couldn't grow a beard. Alice couldn't help but giggle at that- he wouldn't look right with facial hair anyway.

"Laughing at nothing- first sign of insanity."

Alice raised her eyebrows. "And you would know all about that."

The Hatter tipped his hat, eyes sparkling. "Of course. I'm the _Mad Hatter_- it comes with the territory. And it's quite the marvelous territory indeed, though if I was going to mark it with scent, I would probably use the scent of squimberry tea. But then the question becomes, is it really worth it, to waste all that tea for the simple purpose of marking territory? Signposts would work just as well."

Alice considered him for a moment.

"Well, scent would be a five-letter word."

"Of course!" Percy cried, striking his brow. "That solves everything, then- you plant hedges."

"Hedges?"

"In concentric circles." he offered, as if that explained everything. "And I take it you remember how to fix a broken pocket watch?"

Alice rolled her eyes in mock irritation. "Tcht. What do you take me for? You use butter!"

"Only the best butter."

"Of course. But never spread with a breadknife- the crumbs would ruin it."

Percy laughed aloud, taking her hands in his and spinning her in circles.

"You haven't changed a bit- you really are the same Alice!"

"And you're the same Hatter!"

"Indubitably!"

Alice smiled, but after a few more turns, it faded.

Because, so excited had she been, what with Percy returning and holding him and dancing in circles, that she'd forgotten to ask several Very Important Questions.

They stopped spinning, the Hatter's eyes wide with concern.  
"Alice, what's wrong?"

"What have you been doing for the past four years?" she asked. "And how did you get here?"

The Hatter opened his mouth to answer, but it was drowned in a mighty sneeze. Alice realized with a jolt just how cold it was- the two of them were soaked to the bone.

"Sorry- I was so happy to see you that I forgot about the rain." said Alice. "I'll get you back to my apartment and we can put ice on your eye. Then we'll talk."

He nodded and took her hand as they slogged back through the rain. His glove was soaked, but Alice didn't mind in the least. It was as though a great, cold weight had been lifted from her chest and she could gasp lungfuls of fresh air. Percy was here. Wonderland was real- and she could go back. Why else would he have come? She wouldn't have to torture herself with buried memories and old scars.

_But what on earth will I tell Amelia?_

Alice knew that life without Wonderland- without her Hatter (whom she was sure she had the right to call _hers_.) wasn't worth living. She didn't belong here, in Newcastle. She belonged in the Wayfaring Wood, laughing with her friends and facing whatever perils might await her in Wonderland. But something told her that her next visit to Wonderland would be her last- this time, she was there to stay. She couldn't bear to leave Wonderland, or her Hatter, again. But Amelia was the only biological family left to her. (Macbeth didn't count.) Amelia deserved to know why her little sister would be leaving her forever.

Alice would have to explain everything. And she would have to do it soon... but first, she would have to ask Percy those Very Important Questions.

Soon. Very soon.

"Here we are." said Alice shyly as she led him over the threshold of her apartment. Percy craned his neck every which way, rivulets of water dripping onto the black and white tile. The kitchen was small, practical- but he could see Alice's flair in it. The cream walls were plastered with picture frames, and a bouquet of blue flowers stood on the table.

_Who gave those to her?_

The Hatter's fists clenched- the red mist closed around his vision. The Voices were growing louder, and that wasn't good, not...

_No. _

Bad Hatter. Jealous thoughts have no place in this, the most interesting of Places- most specifically because Alice happens to be in hithersaid Place. Bad thoughts. Bad. Alice likely gathered those flowers herself- forget-me-nots _are_ her favorites...

"Percy?"

He flinched- he must have been standing still. And judging by the look on Alice's face, his eyes had been a most frightening red.

"Sorry. I'm fine." he said quickly. He occupied himself with staring at the kitchen, rapt with wonder. Some objects he recognized, from Alice's various books and descriptions, but most were totally foreign to him. (I say- is that a _blender?_ I'll have to give that one a try...)

Alice clapped her hands once, shaking him from his contemplation of her kitchen.

"Right. Well, it's not much, but this is my apartment. I've never had a guy in my apartment before, so... yeah. Um... I'll get you some dry clothes to put on. When we've changed, I'll treat your eye. Then we can talk about how you got here. Okay?"

The Hatter nodded. Very little of what Alice said had actually registered, but he could follow what she meant well enou- a toaster? As in, a_ machine_ that makes _toast_? Perhaps, with a few modifications...

He turned to ask Alice if, perhaps, he could dismantle her toaster and insert a miniature catapult, but she was already gone.

Oh, well. They could talk about that later. All the fear, that_ find Alice now _feeling had vanished- he was just deliriously, palpably happy that she was _here_, and_ safe_, and with _him_.

And she hadn't forgotten- not a single thing.

Not really.

Alice returned a moment later, a bundle of clothes in hand.

"I don't have much by the way of guys' stuff, but I think these jeans are your size. T-shirts are pretty much unisex, so you can just... change into those in the guest room."

For the life of him, Percy couldn't figure out why Alice was so embarrassed. He'd read plenty about Elsewhere and it's fascinating/confusing rituals and machines (Particularly the toaster. He would try that, oh yes...) but nothing about...

Then it clicked.

Something he'd read about Elsewherians that lived alone, and it not being good for a male such as himself to be alone with a female in a strange apartment.

So he thanked Alice quickly and disembarked for (what looked like) the guest room. He didn't want to prolong her discomfort, though he wondered why it was so scandalous for two people with totally innocent intentions to stay temporarily in the same dwelling.

_Innocent? It's taken all of your negligable self-control to avoid kissing her senseless. And don't even get me _started_ about what happened in Arohall..._

He couldn't help but smile dreamily at that memory.

Alice had never changed faster in all of her life. Her initial embarrassment had given way to... shock? Excitement? She was so delirious with happiness that she didn't think she'd _ever_ feel normal again- but what was normal, anyway?

_Pppphht. Percy beats Albert _any _day of the week._

Ha. Amelia had been so excited about marrying John, the law school's poster boy. She'd always told Alice that she'd be happier if she could find a guy to settle down with, make a solid living...

She grinned.

_They can keep their doctors and lawyers- I've got a Mad Hatter. _

"Always it is an Alice, a Hatter, and... a Knight?" The words leapt unbidden to her lips- the echo of one of Wonderland's oldest sayings. She sighed and threw her coat over the bedpost.

This was another thing she'd been trying so very hard not to think about, and perhaps the most painful. There wasn't a Knight anymore. Marcus had gone... mad? No- mad wasn't the right word. Mad people were whimsical and kind and brave. Marcus was... broken. Confused. It was as if he'd disappeared- There was only the cruel servant of the Queen of Hearts left. Nothing but the bloody Knave. Where was the stubborn, calculating, loyal paige she'd grown to love like a brother? Their family was gone- only herself; unsure, all-over-the-road Alice, and the Hatter were left.

The Hatter.

Something deep within her glowed pleasantly with that thought. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, hers was full to bursting. With..._ what?_

A resounding crash routed her from her thoughts, and she sighed, though she wanted to laugh. She'd better go find Percy before he hurt herself- or installed a catapult in her toaster.

She hadn't missed the way he'd muttered under his breath when he looked at it.

"Ow!"

The Hatter groaned, massaging his head. He'd tripped while examining a most befuddling contraption. A ceiling fan, wasn't it? It looked more like a weapon of mass destruction, or the head of so many flowers in Wonderland. He'd tried to talk to it, but lost his footing while staring so intently at the ceiling. And the strange Elsewherian clothes Alice had put him in hadn't helped either- blasted blue pants that were so easy to trip over...

...he'd tumbled right into the closet- or, what had appeared to be so, a moment ago.

The closet was much bigger than he'd thought. He was met with a small room, the studs of the walls bare and the room lit with nothing but a free-hanging lightbulb. But in it were the most marvelous treasures he'd ever seen.

Paintings. Canvases were stacked, leaned against walls, hung on racks- pastels were littered over one table, and sketches bound loosely in a notebook laid beside them. Art of all sorts and colors met his gaze from all sides.

The Hatter could understand the way Alice's work sprawled across the space- between himself and his master, the Hat Shop had never been totally clean. And he'd loved it that way. To anyone else, the workshop looked like a hurricane had torn through it, but the two milliners knew every spool and needle was in its proper place.

A method to the madness, Alice would have said.

A little stab of sadness pierced his heart at the thought of Squirrelbeard, but it soon faded. His master's death still pained him- it probably always would. But the thought of him no longer sent him into debilitating spasms of grief. He'd learned to look upon those memories with calm, though bittersweet eyes.

_I've grown up._

He blinked, remembering himself. He was still standing in Alice's own workshop. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up- the way they always did when he did something _he knew he wasn't supposed to. _

But he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Because the most marvelous part of the artwork wasn't the quantity, but the subject.

It was all about Wonderland.

He recognized the Queen of Diamonds, Squirrelbeard, Marchy- even Cheshire, hanging lazily in the watercolored air. He walked like one in a dream through this treasure trove- not simply because, as a fellow artist, he could appreciate the craft, but there was something truly _Alice_ about it. The watercolors were splashy, wild, but with some semblance of order. Flowing lines of script occasionally melded with

the skies, the seas- her own touch was everywhere. While her charcoal drawing of Squirrelbeard might not have been perfectly proportioned, his eyes were captured with utter perfection. They drew you in, away from the drawing's faults. But somehow, Percy knew she'd drawn him like that on purpose. Because Squirrelbeard wouldn't have wanted to be drawn _correctly._ That was Alice- she saw the whimsy, the magic in everything. She was just as mad as he was, but in a more subtle, Alice way.

It was as if someone had taken her soul and poured it out over each canvas. And he couldn't get enough.

But not a single one was finished.

He made to step forward and examine one more closely, but hesitated.

_You shouldn't be going through Alice's things, Percy._

But... I'm so curious...

He glanced over his shoulder, and shuffled around the room, taking it all in. But, when he reached the darkest, furthest corner of the room, he gasped.

They were all pictures... of _him._

He hadn't looked in a mirror in years, not since... but each of these was a perfect image of what he'd looked like at sixteen, or younger. One: he was crouched in a tree, stock-still, a butterfly perched on his nose. Two: he was dashing across the crest of a hill, chasing Marchy with a mischeivious fervor. Three: a watercolored painting of himself in the woods, laughing with Marcus.

Marcus as he _should_ have been, he corrected. There had been a conspicuous lack of the Knave in any of Alice's art, but Marcus had appeared a few times.

More and more, Percy saw a clear difference between the two of them. As if one day, the Knave would leave and their paige would walk back through the Wayfaring Woods, looking for a round of sparring or a riddle to solve.

But somehow, Percy knew it would never happen. And did he really _want _to see Marcus again?

No. Not after everything he did to Alice, what he's doing... to Wonderland... now...

The redness was back again, and this time, he wasn't sure if he wanted it to leave...

_Stop it, Stop it! You can't do that again- you promised Alice! _

With immense effort, he dragged the dark thoughts out of his mind. But the madness still pulsed like an evil animal in the back of his mind.

He shuddered and diverted his gaze to another picture- this time, he was eleven, crouched over a freshly-tackled Alice. The caption, written in Alice's meandering handwriting, read,

"Who are you?"  
"Percivus Roric Bobinhatton."

Fates, he could remember that day like it was yesterday...

"So, you've found them."

He whipped around, and winced. Alice was standing in the doorway, staring at him. She wasn't angry, or sad- that was the worst part. Just totally and utterly drained, as if she'd aged a hundred years since he'd last seen her.

"Go on- just say it." she sighed. "They suck."

He strode over to her and took her hands in his, brow furrowed.

"Alice, I never want to hear you say that again- your art is beautiful. It's _you_."

She shook her head, smiling bitterly.

"Thanks, Percy, but you don't have to say that. I know it's messed up- I can't sell any of it. I don't know how much longer Tiff will let me stay at the studio if I can't-"

He silenced her with a kiss. He'd meant it to be a brief, reckless one, but Fates, she felt so good. He'd almost forgotten how soft and warm she was. She snuggled close to his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He couldn't stop now, even if he wanted to.

Oh yes, this girl would be the death of him. He'd told himself that he wouldn't press his suit with her; he'd had no idea how long it had been, in Elsewhere, if Alice had found someone else... he hadn't wanted to pressure her.

_Yeah. See how far _that _gets you, lover boy. So much for innocent intentions. _

Alice was smiling when she broke away- her eyes were wide and sparkling. He did like them that way the best. And she was laughing, again- what was it about his kisses that was so blasted funny?

"You know," she giggled "You are a very difficult person to say no to."

"I enjoy being... _stubborn_." he growled, grinning wolfishly. "But, don't think you're getting out of it that easily. I will not abide you insulting your work- You are _you,_ Alice. Your art is you. Who cares what anyone else thinks of it?"  
She kissed him again- he moaned. He'd kissed plenty of girls before, but none of them were like this. Like _Alice_. It was official- she'd driven him totally mad. Mad for her.

But she mistook his groan for one of pain, because she immediately withdrew.

"Oh, no, I forgot- your eye. Here, I'll get some ice to put on it in the kitchen. I've already got supper started."

And before he could speak a word in protest, she'd seized his wrist and dragged him out of the room.

They were soon seated at the kitchen table, Percy holding an ice pack over his eye with one hand and a tea cup in the other. She still drank it, after all this time. It wasn't as good as the Wonderlandian varieties he was used to, but still...

"Percy?"

He jerked his head up, remembering himself.

"Sorry. Your question?"

"How did you get here? I'm not complaining, trust me..." she blushed a little, and he was sure that she was remembering their tryst in the storage room. "But I haven't been able to find a way back into Wonderland in four years. How did you do it?"

He sighed, avoiding her gaze. "It's an extraordinarily lengthly story. But, basically, I talked to a nice rabbit named Banthrope who let me into the Warrens. It took some persuading, but I found you all right."

Gray eyes- Alice wasn't buying this for a second.

"And it took you _four years_ to talk to Banthrope?"

"He- he's a bloody stubborn rabbit, you know..."

Alice laughed mirthlessly. "And I take it you got those scars from bunnies in waistcoats?"

His eyes darkened, and his voice dropped an octave.

"Some stories are better left untold."

Alice was unmoved, raising her eyebrows. Percy winced- she was using that face again. That utterly 'Alice' face that he was incapable of saying no to.

"You're lying to me, Hatter."

He winced again- she had always called him Percy. Always. Only the people he was closest to knew his real name, and in recognition of that trust, used it. The Knave demonstrated his full renunciation of that trust by calling him 'Hatter.' From most, 'Hatter' was his name. From the Knave, it was a curse. From Alice?

His resolve broke instantly.

"All right, I'll tell you." he growled. "But it's not a pretty story."

She was unmoved, the light of determination still burning in her eyes. He smiled- That was Alice, all right. Blasted woman _always _knew how to make him talk.

_Where to begin?_

"After the battle," he said, without preamble, "Things were a little... crazy. The Queen of Hearts was gone, and the Queen of Diamonds couldn't take her place. Wonderland has to be ruled by a woman of the suited Kingdoms, or it will collapse. And it very nearly did."

He didn't say, '_We needed you, Alice'_ but his eyes practically screamed it.

"I... wanted to look for you, but Ferzin convinced me to stay for a little while- make sure the country didn't fall to anarchy and all that. After much turmoil and nonsense- which I won't go into now, no matter how many eyebrows you raise, what was left of the Rebellion crowned the Queen of Clubs."

"The Queen of Clubs?" blurted Alice. "I thought the kingdoms of Clubs and Spades were destroyed a long time ago?"

"They were, when the Queen of Hearts took over. Their real power was gone- they were just sections of the new Kingdom of Hearts. But their borders and titles still remained. No one heard much about them, though- ttheir kingdoms border right on the Outlands. The Queen of Clubs was more than happy to make her kingdom the Ruling Centre of Wonderland again, hold the High Crown- who wouldn't, in her position? Most of the Rebellion returned to their everyday lives or became part of her court."

"But, what does this have to do with you coming back?"

Percy smiled. "Patience, luv. I'm getting to that. The Queen's a peaceful woman, to be sure, but she's an idiot. She'll believe anything you tell her, real naaive, happy-go-lucky type. We figured she'd work out okay, though, since her Knave has a good head on his shoulders. I left to look for you, and everything was fine, until the Knave of Clubs disappeared."

His eyes darkened. "And you can guess who volunteered to replace him."

Alice's jaw dropped. "No."

"Yes." Percy said bitterly. "Our very own Knave of Hearts is now under the employment of the Queen. And he's good at it, too- the whole bloody kingdom loves him."

Alice was almost incoherent with shock. "But- but you know what he did! Who he really is! Surely... why didn't someone _say_ something?"

The Hatter laughed bitterly. "The only people who saw the events of the throne room are you, me, the Red One, and a bunch of cards. The Cards are gone, the Red One is dead, and you were... missing. For all the rest of Wonderland knows, the Knave's a war hero. And as for me... it was my word against his."

"But... I can't see the entire Kingdom believing Marc- the Knave, over you. You're the _Mad Hatter_- that's gotta have some kind of weight to it."

He rummaged around in his pocket, and tossed a rumpled piece of parchment onto the table.

"Go on. Read it."

Alice unfolded it and gasped.

WANTED- Percivus Bobinhatton.

Aliases- "Hatter" "Mad Hatter" "Sexy Milliner."*

Percy's face was sketched out on it, and beneath it was printed a reward of

"Twenty-thousand crowns?" she breathed. "Good grief, Percy, what did you _do_?"

He waved his hand. "Read on."

Printed beneath the reward was the charge:

Wanted, for the suspected kidnaping of Champion Alice Preston.

Alice slammed her fist on the table.

"That's RIDICULOUS!" she cried. "Any idiot can see you didn't kidnap me!"

Percy laughed bitterly. "The Queen _is_ an idiot, Alice. But it has a grain of truth to it- who was the last person to be seen with you? Me. Who disappeared shortly after you did? Me. Who has every reason to dislike Wonderland's new order? Me. What's the easiest way to change Wonderland? Through you. The Knave's silver tongue did the rest."

He absentmindedly touched the scar on his shoulder and scowled. "It was exactly what _he_ wanted. I had to stay on the run- I couldn't be shouting about what really happened, and I couldn't keep searching for you in the open. But there's a few who still believe me- they tipped me off before the Knave came to arrest me. I took Marchy and ran- that's how it's been for about four years."

He paused for a moment. Guilt squirmed in Alice's belly- they'd needed her. Wonderland needed it's Alice. And the sadness in Percy's eyes...

"I was looking for you." he said quietly. "I never gave up, you know. I looked all over Wonderland, and when I didn't find you there, I looked for a way into Elsewhere. But the Warrens aren't... the same.... anymore. Cards regulate exactly who gets through, and Banthrope's disappeared."

Alice gasped, and the Hatter added quickly. "On-the-record, I mean. I'm sure he's in hiding, just like the rest of the old Rebellion- Ferzin, and the like- who don't like the Knave's new policies. Extra taxes, forced conscriptions into the army, searching people's homes without cause. Banthope didn't like what was going on, he knows that the Knave's trying to keep Wonderlanders out of Elsewhere- you wouldn't believe how many there are, up here. I'll bet you my reward money- no, twice that- that the Knave is trying to keep someone from reaching you. He doesn't want you to know what's going on, or that he's looking for you. That's why I came- I'm afraid that, whatever he's planning, it's going to involve you."

His fists clenched, and Alice could see that he was fighting back the red.

She laid a hand on his arm and he soon relaxed.  
"Sorry. But if he tries to hurt you again, I'm going to kill him. No questions asked."

Alice opened his mouth to interrupt, but he cut across her.

"I will, Alice. And you can't say that he doesn't deserve it."

She met the fire in his gaze with her own for a long moment- she hated what Marcus had become, but to kill him? Was he truly that far gone?

But when the Hatter didn't relent, she nodded curtly.

"If it comes to that." she muttered. And she hoped vehemently that it wouldn't.

Percy continued, "And there's one other thing- The Knave's got the Key."

"WHAT?" Alice shrieked. "What's he doing with it?"

"I don't know- but some friends and I have been trying to find out. We'd like you to help us- we think that if we can get you to the Queen, she'll believe the truth about the Knave. Even she can't refute hard evidence."

He didn't say it, not exactly. But Alice knew, from the moment she'd recognized him in the alley, that he was here to take her back to Wonderland. With him.

And this time, it might be forever.

"I'm coming with you." she said instantly. "This is crazy, what he's doing- it's almost like the Queen of Hearts all over again. He's lost it."

Percy's face lit up. "Perfect! Alice, with you here, I'm sure we'll be able to convince her- it's not bad yet, not quite, but I get the sinking feeling that Marcus wants to make himself the first King of Wonderland, and that would be exceptionally bad, seeing that-"

"Percy!" Alice snapped, shaking him from his ramblings. He shook himself a little, like a dog.

"My apologies. But we ought to leave, as soon as possible. The way I actually esca- I mean, it might be easier to get out than in."

But Alice caught his slip.

"Escaped? You got yourself_ captured_?"

"No, not exac- It was the only way." he said flatly. "The Rabbit Hole is a one-way trip, the Warrens are all but closed, and the Key is in the Knave's pocket. I figured he'd used it, made the Door somewhere in the castle, so his minions could do his dirty work in Elsewhere. And there was only one way I was getting inside the Palace... don't worry." he said quickly, as Alice opened her mouth to protest. "I made sure _he _was out of town when I let myself be caught. And we'll be able to get back through the Warrens- Cheshire found us a secret by-way, but we've gotta get there in 48 hours, or we'll be stranded here."

A knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it." said Percy. Before I could stop him (My landlord was NOT going to take kindly to a Mad Hatter in my apartment.) He had already pulled it open.

"Who the devil are you?" an all-too-familiar voice snapped.

Alice groaned- it was Albert.

This was going to be interesting.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_* I lol'd. XD _

_I really like this chapter- I know it took awhile to get uploaded, but it's got a little bit of everything. Explanation, romance, Hatter-POV. _

_I know it took forever to get to the actual explaining, but I felt like delving deeper into the psyches of the two characters and their reactions to being apart so long. Forgive me if it drags. _

_Also, about the cliffhangers- it is my belief that any unfinished story technically ends on a cliffhanger, so there's no avoiding it. (And I do so enjoy torturing you all. :D)_

_Thank you all for reading/threatening/reviewing. _

_And I would like to think that that kissing scene was a BIT more graphic than a Curious George episode! XD It's not gonna get a whole lot worse than that, so don't worry._

_Thanks again!_

_-JadedWarrior_


	3. The Hatter Loses his Temper

_**Chapter Three: The Hatter Loses his Temper**_

"_Anger is a short-lived madness."_

_-Horace_

"Who are you?" Albert demanded, shoving his way into the kitchen. Percy glanced from Alice to Albert, and hurt flashed in his bright eyes. She already knew what he must be thinking.

She'd never hated the redhead more.

"Get out." she growled, wrenching the door open wide. "The answer is, has been, and shall always be _NO._ Now beat it."

Albert ignored her, slowly looking Percy over from head-to-foot. She didn't miss the sneer on his face.  
"Who's_ this,_ Alice?"  
"I would ask you the same question." the Hatter growled. His eyes were red-orange, he was fighting to stay calm...

"I am Albert Rennings, a friend from Alice's work. My father owns the Modern Studio and Gallery- and he can make life very,_ very_ difficult for her if the two of you make trouble."

Very little of that made sense to him, but that last sentence hit- hard. Albert's eyes glittered maliciously, his eyes wandering in Alice's direction too often for the Hatter's liking. His knuckles must have been white beneath the gloves...

"A _friend,_ huh? I think Alice asked you to leave."

She scooted a little closer to him and squeezed his hand.

"It's fine- I can handle him." she whispered. To Albert, she growled.

"Get out. No one wants you here."

The redhead scoffed, sneering at their twined hands. "Cute, truly. What are you going to do- have your ghetto boy _glare_ at me?"  
Alice took a step forward- and if her eyes could've changed color, they would.

This pimply, red-headed piece of filth dared insult her Hatter? Oh,_ someone_ was going to pay...

Percy made to hold her back, but she shoved off his arm.

"_Leave_, you filthy toerag, before I call the cops."

Albert glanced a little nervously between Alice and Percy- paling a little at the scarcely-restrained anger in Percy's orange eyes...

"Fine." he laughed thinly. "I can't believe I wanted to go out with you in the first place, Alice. Keeping scruffy men like this in your house at all hours of the night? I knew you were odd, but I never thought you were some kind of whor-"

BANG.

Before Alice could even register what had happened, Percy had lifted Albert off his feet and slammed him against the wall.

She had never seen his eyes turn red so fast.

"Give me one good reason." he snarled. "One good reason that I shouldn't bash your face in _right_ now." Alice dashed forward, putting a hand on the Hatter's arm.

"Percy, don't do it, please, he's not worth losing control over." she muttered desperately. Her own anger had evaporated in her concern for him. "This isn't Wonderland- he'll have you arrested."

"You're damn right, I will!" Albert cried. "Get off me!"

"C'mon. One punch, Alice?" the Hatter pouted. "For luck?"

His tone was light, but the red hadn't receded. Alice shook her head.

"As much as I'd like to indulge you, no. You'd probably kill him, and that's far too much paperwork."

Albert's face, if possible, grew paler.

"You can't touch me." he squeaked. "I-I'll have you chucked in jail!"  
Alice wanted to see the prison that could hold a Mad Hatter.

But he totally disregarded the college student's response. Instead, he leaned close to Albert's ear and growled, "Listen well, you guddler's scut,* because I'm only gonna say this once. You are a fool indeed if you believe that Alice- the Champion of Wonderland- will stand to be insulted in such a manner."his voice was dangerously quiet, and even Alice flinched at the unrestrained rage in his gaze. "She has more honor and virtue in one little finger than you've got in your whole bloody body- frumious and overdressed as it is. Who am I? I'll tell you. I am a _very_ Mad Hatter, in both interpretations of the term, and if you don't get out of here right now, I will rip each of your limbs off individually and slap you silly with them. It will make a mess, but I will ask Alice's pardon later."

He laughed mirthlessly. "And I don't give a fat rat's_ arse _what your police might do about it."

"You-you're insane." Albert choked. Percy gave a fiendish grin that was not in any way happy.

"I know."

And with that, he let Albert fall to the floor in a heap. He made a rather undignified scramble for the door, but not before calling back over his shoulder,

"I'm calling the cops!"

A rude hand gesture was all he got in return for that.

Alice slapped his arm lightly, biting her lip to hide a smile.

"What?" the Hatter pouted, eyes lightening. "He deserved it."

"I know, but what would Squirrelbeard have said? He raised you better than that."

Percy had the funny feeling that the old hatter would have been flipping his own bird at Albert, but he wasn't about to tell Alice _that. _

"Sorry." she said, jolting him from his thoughts. "I forget... I shouldn't talk about... Sorry."

She looked truly mortified- the Hatter squirmed with guilt. Of course, she hadn't seen him in years. Not since the pain of losing his master was fresh in his mind, enough to send him into spasms of the Madness. She hadn't wanted to hurt him.

"It's fine, Alice." he said, careful to keep his voice and (hopefully, his eye color) steady. "I can talk about him now. I've had four years to grieve for Squirrelbeard, and a part of me will always mourn him. But it's not as bad as it was before."

She nodded. "I'm glad- and thanks for beating off Albert, but I am perfectly capable of defending my own honor."

The Hatter grinned. "I know. But he was asking for it- and I wanted to get there first."

She cuffed him lightly over the back of his head.

"You little mischief-maker!" she laughed. Percy grinned right back.  
"Don't I know it- but who _was_ that guy? I seriously doubt that he was your... friend." he finished darkly.

Alice's knew that she would have to choose her words very, very carefully. If she made Albert sound like the perverted stalker-predator he was, the Hatter would chase him down again and beat him senseless- no questions asked. Percy was a formidable fighter, but Alice knew that he would have difficulty living with himself if he really maimed Albert- or worse.

Besides, explaining the Mad Hatter to Newcastle Police would be... tricky.

"He was a very persistent man from work." she said. "He has been trying to ask me out for weeks- but I've said no every time." she added quickly.

Personally, she would have liked to see Percy rough up the pervert a bit (and perhaps, not single-handedly...) But she wasn't going to let him lose control again. Not over a twit like Albert.

Percy let the issue be, though he cast a dark look at the space Albert had occupied a minute before.

"Sorry about your wall- you might want to wash it, now that his filth has been on it."

Alice shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, to be honest, since we're leaving soon."

She bit her lip. "Do we need to go _now, _or do I have a moment? I... I'd like to write a letter to Amelia. I want to explain this- everything, properly. I would've done it face-to face, but we have to go."

Percy nodded. "Of course- your sister will want to know. I'm just sorry we don't have more time."

He glanced on the clock at the wall.  
"How do you read those, again?"  
"It's about nine-thirty."

Alice yawned widely. "And... Tiff is gonna want to make sure I'm not dead, or anything. I'll just tell her that it's a family emergency..."  
"You're rambling, Alice." admonished the Hatter. "You must _really _be tired."

Alice winced as she realized the truth in his words- what with working late and the... less than ordinary happenings of the evening, she was exhausted. But Percy had come much farther, and hadn't complained a bit. They had things to do.  
"I'm not... tired." she muttered, stifling another yawn.

"Look, we have enough time for a few hours of sleep. You'll need it for the road ahead- the others aren't expecting us for another day at least."

Alice only wished that they had enough time to talk to Amelia- her sister lived hours away, and would not take kindly to a sudden demand that she drive back to Newcastle to talk to her sister, no matter how much she wanted to explain everything to Amelia face-to-face...

But there was no choice.

"I'll take the guest room." said the Hatter, without waiting for her answer. Alice rolled her eyes.  
_The man won't take no for an answer. _

So Alice turned and headed into her own bedroom. She was about to close the door, when Percy called out, "Alice... ceiling fans don't talk, do they?"

"Nope."

"Right. Didn't think so."

She smiled as she closed the door behind her.

oo oo oo

The next morning was remarkably uneventful. Alice didn't know what she was expecting- Cards to break down her door and flood her apartment? The return of Albert? They'd gotten up, gotten dressed, and gotten going. (After she'd finally convinced the Hatter that, _yes_, the car really moved, and _no,_ it wasn't going to eat him, things went rather grrrr...well.) But Alice hadn't forgotten to mail off her letter to Amelia, or leave a message for Tiffany.

She was done- her connections to Elsewhere severed easily. It was as if her world was trying to be rid of her.

And Alice refused to obsess over it. That was her nature, she knew- she'd always ask herself what she could have done differently, whether she'd made the right choice...

Enough was enough. There was nothing she could do about their lack of time- or the fact that her sister lived hours away.

She would find a way to contact her sister from Wonderland, once she cleared Percy's name and set things straight. The Knave would be brought to justice, the Queen of Clubs would see the error of her ways- and she'd finally explain Wonderland to Amelia, face-to-face.

There was going to be a lot of explaining to do, when she came back. _When,_ because she knew she would- not permanently, but she would visit Elsewhere. She was determined not to think of the alternative, which was not taking the Knave out of power, not surviving this last struggle with Wonderland... or worse yet, being trapped in a world where she didn't belong. Again.

Realization crashed down on her with a jolt- she'd barely survived an encounter with The Knave last time. How could she hope to defeat the most powerful man in Wonderland without killing him, armed with nothing but a power she could barely understand?

"Are you all right, Alice?"

The obvious lie died in her throat as she looked into those wide gray eyes.  
"No, I'm not. I'm afraid, Percy." she admitted. "I'm afraid that I'm not the Alice everyone is looking for."

Alice wasn't sure what kind of response she was expecting (Madmen are notoriously unpredictable) Surprise? Pity?

She definitely hadn't expected him to laugh. He laughed uproariously for nearly a minute, ignoring Alice's mounting irritation.

"Well, we're screwed then," he said simply, when he'd recovered. "because there's not an Alice on earth more suited to the job than you."

The sincerity in his gaze stifled her angry retort. She settled for an irritable sigh.

"Look, I know that the Key chose me, and whatever, but what have I _done? _Alice Kingsley slew a Jabberwockey, Alice Norfolk started the Resistance, and Alice Liddell created Wonderland! All I've done is kill a Bandersnatch and throw myself out a window! How have I changed Wonderland?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Oh, I don't know- maybe by ending the reign of the Red Queen? Alice, I can't believe that you're so willing to underestimate yourself. Without you, I wouldn't even be sitting here today."

"You and Marcus would never have fought the Bandersnatch if I hadn't showed up."

"I wasn't talking about physical danger."

That was enough to make Alice slam on the brakes- right in the middle of the little country road. She turned in her seat to face him.

"What are you talking about? Without me, you would never have gotten into that. The shop wouldn't have been attacked- and Squirrelbeard would still..."

Percy shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.  
"Squirrelbeard and Sir Gregory were important members of the Resistance. It was only a matter of time before the Queen caught up to them... Alice, if you hadn't been at the shop that day, I would never have made it. I... I would have given in. To the madness."

His eyes darkened.

"Probably never would've left the scene. I would've just taken my sword and-"  
"No!" Alice snapped, shaking him roughly. "Don't you even _think _anything like that again!"

He smiled as his eyes swirled to their usual orange.  
"See? You save me every time. You got me out of the throne room, and saved us both from the Knave."

"I didn't know what I was doing- that doesn't count."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Do you think Alice Kingsley knew what she was doing, when she fought the Jabberwockey?"

Alice had no retort for this, so she let him continue.

"And you managed to finish off the first Knave, heaven curse his soul."  
"By accident." Alice muttered. "I didn't want to kill him."

The Hatter placed a hand over hers.

"I know- you're not a bloodthirsty person, Alice. One of the many wonderful things about you. But you were brave enough to fight him- and win. And you_ did _mean to kill the Bandersnatch. You're the reason the Queen of Hearts is off the throne."

She shook her head. "I didn't kill her. The Knave did."

"And he would've killed me and countless others, if you hadn't stopped him. He would have made _you_ the Queen of Hearts."

His eyes flashed red for a moment, but he quickly regained his senses.

"You're right- the Knave isn't just going to let us depose him. It's not going to be easy. But if anyone can do it, it's you. Now, are you finished doubting yourself?"  
Alice smiled.

"Quite."

"Excellent. Now, let's get this strange metal Bandersnatch moving."

Alice laughed as the car roared back to life and her tires ate up the road.

oo oo oo

It wasn't long before her uncle's mansion loomed before them, but Percy instructed her to stop when they were still nearly a quarter mile away.

"What's wrong?"  
"Not that way. We've got to enter the woods from another direction."  
"Why?"  
"That's where the Door connects- the Knave is using that house. Fates, I didn't know we were that close..."

Without another word, Alice sped the car off in the other direction, nearing the fringe of the woods.

"He's using my Uncle's house as a base? Why?"

"It's the only house for miles- plus, it has a known connection to you." said Percy. "It would be an easy place to set up a trap."

Alice shuddered, infinitely grateful that she had declined the last invitation a few months ago.

"He hasn't locked anyone up, has he? My uncle, or... our friends?"  
The Hatter shook his head. "I'm not sure about your uncle, but he doesn't have any of the others. They're good hiders, and they've got Absolem to help them. You remember Absolem?"  
She nodded. "The blue butterfly?"  
"The very same. He's the one we need to talk to if we want to learn about the Key, or what Marcus might try to do with it. I'm hoping that he'll talk to us about it if you're there- real jealous with his secrets, that one."

The Hatter muttered the last sentence rather darkly.

"Oh, hush. Absolem is as soft as Banthrope on the inside, you know- he's just doing his job."

Percy still muttered to himself, so Alice thought it wise to distract him.

"So, who are your friends?"

He stared at the ceiling for a moment, ticking something off on his fingers.

"Well, there's the Tweedles, Marchy, The White Rabbit, and Triss."

Alice thought for a moment.

"What about the Dormouse and Banthrope?"  
"The Dormouse is narcoleptic- we've hidden him somewhere safe. Banthrope's got spunk, but he's too old for... if something happens."

"But Marchy's no fighter either- you said it yourself." said Alice. Percy shook his head, eyes dark.

"He's been on the run with me for four years, Alice. You'd be surprised how tough that can make you."

"And who's Triss?"

But before Percy could answer her question, they met the fringe of the woods. The two of them stepped out of the car, slinging their small packs over their backs.

They were going back to Wonderland. Again.

Alice didn't even try to suppress her smile.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

M'kay, I tried some new POV dividers. How are they working?

_*guddler's scut- theif's butt. Another Outlandish curse._

_Ugh, this one was a tough write. BO-RING, I know. But we'll get some more action pretty quick- including the ever-popular torture scene. (Becca, you demented soul. XD) _

_Also, after this story is through, I was thinking of writing a few companion pieces. Here's what I was thinking of:_

_Hatted Hearts- a series of one-shots with interactions between Percy and Squirrelbeard at different points in their lives, possibly including Squirrelbeard's death from Percy's POV. Cute mentor/student moments. :3 I love writing the interactions between the two Hatters._

_Post Mortem- A story about the "Turmoil and Nonsense" that happens between the end of Book One and the beginning of Book Two. This would be told mostly from Percy's POV, again, and would cover his search for Alice and the fight to put the Queen of Clubs in power. It may be partially told from Marcus' POV, since I haven't written much of that. _

_Triss- working title. XD This would be Book Two told from Triss' perspective- she's an interesting character. _

_Please Review to vote/give suggestions for these ideas! I may write more than one of them- I really like Hatted Hearts, so that will likely be first._

_Thanks for reading/reviewing! Suggestions are always taken into consideration._

_-JadedWarrior_


	4. Wendelclaws Suck

_**Chapter Four: Wendelclaws Suck**_

_Seriously, it is impossible to make lemonade with just lemons. _

_Life really sucks sometimes._

_-JadedWarrior_

Alice locked up the car and left it where it was, much to Percy's amazement.  
"Doesn't it want to stretch it's legs? Go to the bathroom?"

"It's a car, you dolt." Alice laughed. "_It's not alive_. And I think it deserves a break."

So the Hatter let the matter rest and they walked deeper into the woods.

"They should be a bit further in- Marchy's got good ears. They might already know that we're here."

Alice looked for signs of movement- the telltale screech of an excited Hare- but there was nothing. She considered asking Percy about it, but the tension in his countenance killed the words. The Hatter's eyes were gray under furrowed brows, and his hand strayed often to the hilt of his dagger. Alice was glad that she'd purchased herself a sword a few years back- for 'aesthetic' purposes, of course.

Her sister never suspected that she still practiced, after all these years.

"Why a dagger?" she finally asked, hoping to break the terse silence. He gave her a rather sharp look.

"More practical in... some situations."

Alice immediately regretted asking- but she couldn't help wondering how many 'situations' he'd gotten into while she was gone.

And she knew that he hadn't told her everything, no matter what he said.

Then the air shattered, and little things like the Hatter's past took a backseat.

_SCREEEEEEEEEE!_  
"GET DOWN!" Percy roared. But it was too late- something huge and heavy collided with his shoulder, throwing him to the ground.

"Percy!"  
She made to help him up, but was forced to scramble aside as claws flashed in front of her. Another screech split the air and she barely dodged another sudden blow.

"Alice!"  
The Hatter staggered to his feet, ducking under another slash. They were back-to-back, weapons drawn, ready to fight their invisible assailants.

Then Alice looked up, and saw them.

"Fates above." breathed Percy.

They were huge.

Two gigantic birds of prey circled their clearing, shrieking and hissing. Their plumage was inky black, and purple stained the feathers around their eyes, tails, and wingtips. Their beaks and talons were like iron- in both color and stregnth. The birds' eyes were without pupil, and red as blood.

Even the Bandersnatch had a kind of twisted cuteness to it. These birds were nothing short of terrifying- and they were definitely from Wonderland.

"How did these get here?" Alice gasped, as she helped the Hatter to his feet. They tried to dash for a clearing, but they were blocked again by another swoop. The birds couldn't quite maneuver in the clearing, Alice could tell- but they had no intention of letting them escape.  
"I don't know, but I'll bet money that they work for the Knave." he glanced from one to the other, rapidly formulating a plan.

"Alice, we need to-"

"DUCK!"

She shoved him down, but not before another one of them caught her across the shoulder. To her horror, strong claws fastened about her shoulders and began pulling her from the ground.

"ALICE!"  
A scream tore the air and the bird released her. She fell to the ground in a heap- struggling to her feet just in time to avoid another slashing talon. The bird that had tried to kidnap her fell to the ground in a heap, black blood oozing from it's corpse. The hilt of Percy's dagger protruded from it's body.

She ran to him, both of their necks craning to catch a glimpse of the second bird.

She passed him her dagger.

"You're probably going to want this."  
"How long have you carried a knife?"  
"Since Albert got it into his head to start following me to work."

Percy's lip twitched.

"Right. Definitely should've punched him."

They expected the bird to descend any moment now- nothing. The waiting coiled each one of Alice's adrenaline-spiked nerves into a knot. Her heart was racing uncomfortably, her muscles twitching with the need to run, move, do something.

"Do you think it's safe to move?" she whispered.

"I don't-"

_SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!_  
Alice heard the bird scream, but she was too late to react- she whirled around just in time to see the creature sweep towards them in a rush of feathers, felt someone shove her hard in the side-

She tripped and fell to the ground. A cry of pain and a rush of wind, and it was over.

The blackness overtook her almost instantly.

_**Author's Note:**  
_

_Okay, yeah, the bird fight sucked. Really. But I felt the need to post this chapter so I can move on with the flipping story. _

oo oo oo

Cards are valuable soldiers for several reasons.

The first is obvious- they're walking chunks of solid steel. Only a powerful weapon or a well-placed blow could hope to damage them, and even then, they fought to the end. Why are cards such loyal soldiers? Reticent chunks of metal could hardly believe in fighting for a cause, and there are few worldly things that tempt them. No, Cards are valuable soldiers because of the spell wound into their metal shells- a spell that was made by the first Cardsmith during the dawn of Wonderland's history.

All Cards are bound utterly and infallibly to the whims of whomever wears the crown.

Their sentient qualities are limited only to those necessary for a soldier- they have no 'feelings,' no thoughts of mutiny or empathy. Just unwavering resolve to do as they are told, and do it well, by whomever they are told to do it. Only a powerful usurper could possibly sway the loyalty of the Cards, and only by proving himself to be a truer ruler than their Crowned Queen.

The Knave of Clubs knew this well- it had made killing the Queen of Hearts laughably easy. No true ruler would put so much trust in a single man, he reasoned, and the Cards had agreed with him. These Club Cards were no different. And even if some of them were still loyal to their Queen, it would matter little. He was doing his job as Knave and Chief of Police- hunting a fugitive.

Queen Farilla of Clubs would have nothing cross to say about it, he was sure.

Foolish woman.

The bird threw the Hatter to the ground with a thud. He struggled to his knees, but was shoved down again by a pair of green and white Cards.

_Finally. _

A man in a matching ensemble of white, green, and black sauntered up to them, grinning widely.

"Hatter." The Knave crowed. "I was hoping you'd come by for a visit."

oo oo oo

Alice came around slowly and painfully- but the first thing that really registered wasn't her discomfort or her environment.

It was the conspicuous lack of a Hatter.

_The bird, the bird..._

_Oh, no._

She leapt to her feet. "Percy!"  
"Oi! Shut et!"

Strong hands shoved her back to the ground, and try as she might, she couldn't break their hold. Alice glared up at her captor- a beautiful, though slightly rugged-lookig woman about her age. Her dark skin was lined with a scar or two, and her angular eyebrows lent her a perpetually fierce expression. Bright gold eyes contrasted sharply with her dark skin, and the cornrow braids on her head alternated in rows of hot pink and black, all pulled together into a loose bun. She was clothed in rough traveling gear, with cutoff shorts and high boots that looked a little worn.

Essentially, she was an Outlander from head to toe. Meaning that Alice wasn't getting off the ground anytime soon.

"Triss, is it?" she ventured.

"How'd ye guess?" her captor growled. The brogue sounded vaguely Scottish- definitely an Outlander.

"You're the only one I don't recognize. And it's an Outlandish name."  
The White Rabbit's face loomed into view, as flustered and tense as ever.  
"All right, all right- Leave off, Triss! It's Alice!"  
Triss rolled her eyes. "Oh, realleh? And how many girls 'ave claimed to beh Alice, all these years?"  
Alice's irritation was burning rapidly at her self-control. Was this how Percy felt, when his eyes turned red?  
_I have no time for this!_  
"Look, you're the Mad Hatter's friends, right? He was taking me to meet you when we were attacked by giant birds. I don't know where he is, but I know he's in danger- listen to me for his sake, if for nothing else!"  
Triss released her suddenly, as if burned. Her topaz eyes were wide.  
"Perceh's en danger?"  
"You know his first name?"

For a moment, both women stared at each other, equally shocked. But Alice was soon on her feet. "How do you know him?"  
"Long storeh." the Outlander growled. "'An not one you need tae hear jus' yeht.  
"Contrariwise, Triss, if she was a'wantin to hear the story it's rude to refuse!" piped up Tweedledee, who had emerged from his hiding space, Dum and Marchy in tow.  
"No, ye idiot, if'n Triss didn't wanna tell it it'd be no use_ nohow,_ and rudeness aside!"  
"Well, it was rude of her to refuse to tell Alice, her bein' the Champion and needin' to know what's befallen her _boyfriend_-"  
"Hatter's not her boyfriend, beetlebrain, cause if e' was it would be, but as e' isn't he most certainly _ain't,_ cause everybody knows that-"  
"TWEEDLES!" Triss barked.

"Sorry."  
"Didn't mean nothin nohow, Triss."

"Alice." muttered the Hare- it was the first words he'd spoken. Her heart broke at the sight of him- his usual twitchy but lovable exterior had been stripped away. Marchy was thin, haggard, and utterly terrified. His eyes were wide and filled with fear, like a little child cowering from an imaginary monster.

"Heavens, Marchy, what's _happened_ to you?" Alice breathed, though she already knew.

Triss followed her gaze- her eyes too were dark with pity.

"Perceh 'ad no choice. It was take 'im, or leave 'im at the mercy of the Knave."

Her eyes darkened to a burnt orange.  
"'An there's no mercy wit' 'at _monsteh._"

The warrioress rounded on Alice.

"Yeh said you were traveling with the 'Atter- big behrds got 'im? Purple 'an black?"

Alice nodded. Triss swore under her breath.

"Son of a Bandersnatch*... Wendelclaws. They'llve taken 'im to the Knave... _sharskleh._" she swore. "'At boy realleh knows how tae get 'imself into trouble. Pack yeh things!" she cried, to the general group. "We need tae git movin'."

And without another word, she scooped up her own pack and plunged into the woods.

Alice hurried to catch up, lengthening her strides to match the Outlander's relentless pace.

"Wait- so you're just going to barge into the Knave's stronghold with no plan?"

"Do yeh want 'im rescued, or not?" she growled, pointedly not looking at Alice. "Because if'n yeh do, you ought tae listen tae people who know what they're doin'. We don't 'ave _time_ tae prattle on."

"Are you serious?" spat Alice. "There is _always_ time to make a plan. The only creatures really fit to fight here are me and you- and heaven only knows how many Cards are in there. Do you think the Knave will just let us walk in there and take him?"  
"Bloody 'ell, girl, do yer think ah didn't think 'o that? We've gotten a message from someone on the inside- Mr. Roberht Preston. The Knave's outta town."

Robert- Uncle Rob?  
"My Uncle's been captured by the Knave?"

Triss rolled her eyes.  
"Thank ye, Cap'n Obvious. Any other lovely behts of info ye wanna share?"  
"Would you _shut up and listen?" _Alice snapped. Triss said nothing, so Alice snatched her wrist, whirling her around to face her. Triss immediately tore her dagger free with her other hand- and they stood motionless, Alice holding the Outlander's wrist and Triss pricking Alice's throat with her knife.

"_We are no use to him if we can't work together_." she growled.

Just then, the others crashed through the undergrowth.

"Triss, you needn't walk so- Fates above!" the White Rabbit gasped, when he beheld their less-than-friendly stances. "Triss, p-put that away! You know the c-consequences for harming Wonderland's champion!"

"Trissy not hurt Alice!" squeaked a small voice. The March Hare stepped forward, tiny dagger in paw. He was shaking like a leaf, but a new, almost lucid determination lit a fire in his eyes. "Crazy boy in d-danger. No time for fight!"

Triss shot Alice one more venomous look and released her- Alice did the same with her wrist.

_Why do you hate me so much? _  
Would all of Wonderland act like this- despise her for accidentally abandoning them? Or did they already assume her dead or kidnapped?

But she had no time to think about this. The Hatter- her Hatter, was in danger. The Knave was more than likely going to use him as a bargaining chip... try to use him to get at her.

The mighty, white-hot rage filled her again, bubbling up from some deep inner core.

No. She would chase the Knave to the gates of hell if she had to- nothing was going to separate them again.

So she crashed on through the woods, back towards a mansion she swore she would never set foot in.

A plan was rapidly formulating itself in her mind.

The White Rabbit sped up his odd, hop-walking gait to plod along beside her. He still wore the same crimson waistcoat that she'd remembered, the same concerned, though nervous look in his brown eyes.

"She's really not a hateful creature, you know." he said quietly. "She's just been through a lot. The Knave destroyed her whole tribe when he learned they'd been sheltering the Hatter."

Alice's heart clenched- it was an unbelievable act of cruelty. She could hardly blame Triss for being suspicious...  
"Does Percy know?"  
"Fates, no." breathed the Rabbit. "He'd... He'd never forgive himself if he knew. T-Triss said she'd gut anyone who told him. I don't blame her."

The poor Rabbit was glancing over his shoulder so often, Alice swore he had a twitch.

"How did he wind up in the Outlands?" she asked, trying to keep her tone level. Of course, he wouldn't have told her... afraid she'd worry...

She scoffed. Yeah- like she wasn't worried now. Her every nerve was twisted into a supersensitive knot- it took all of her self-control to stop thinking of all the horrid things the Knave could possibly be doing to him and all of the slow and painful ways she'd make him pay if he touched a _single hair_-

"Alice?"

She came back to herself with a start- how much of that was out loud?  
"Sorry, Florence." she murmured, remembering the Rabbit's first name. "Looks like some of the Madness is rubbing off on me."

He managed a weak chuckle.  
"Alice, if you w-weren't mad, you wouldn't be you. We're all mad here."

She smiled.

"Of course. But I'll feel much better when I get a certain Madman back."

The Rabbit chuckled a little too knowingly- and Alice wondered how many rumors the Cheshire Cat had managed to spread over the past four years...

"I was asking a question, wasn't I?"  
"You were. The Hatter wound up in the Outlands with the March Hare. They'd been searching for you. if Triss hadn't found them, they'd have... expired."

Now it was official. Percy definitely hadn't told her everything that had been going on while she was away. But whatever feelings of hurt she might have felt before were swept away in the maelstrom of her fear for him.

_Whatever happens, _Alice begged. _Just let him be safe._

She couldn't know that her Hatter was anything but.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_* I lol'd when I thought that up. XD It amuses me, for some reason..._

_Yeah, I hate this chapter, but I had to put it up. I can NO LONGER stand to look at it. X_X_

_Yeah, short chapter again, sorry. XD Torture scene's next up, though. BE __NOT AFRAID!_


	5. Him and It

_**Chapter Five: Him and It**_

The coward wretch whose hand and heart Can bear to torture aught below,

Is ever first to quail and start From the slightest pain or equal foe.

-Bertrand Russell

Percy woke up to an icy steam of water.

"W-whaa?"  
He glanced around quickly, trying to think through the befuddled fog of his mind. Nearly four years on the run had taught him to think on his feet- or when lying on cold, hard stone.

Semidarkness. Hands chained, hat... gone? No shirt. Underground, likely a cellar...

_Where is Alice? _

But he didn't have time to think terrifying thoughts about Alice, and Alice not being safe, because at that moment, an all-too-familiar figure strode into the room.

"Hatter." The former Knave of Hearts drawled. "What a nice surprise."

The red mist tightened around his vision, his muscles clenched...

_Don't do anything stupid. _said that sensible, snappish voice in his head that sounded oddly like Triss.

_I won't. Yet. _

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Percy growled in what he hoped was a civil tone.

Marcus chuckled. "The last time you were incarcerated, you see, I wasn't able to visit. Clever bastard that you are, you escaped."

His tone was dangerously quiet. Anger flashed in his blue-green eyes.

Percy grinned shamelessly. "Come to think of it, I did. If you'd be willing to untie me and turn around for a bit, I could do a demonstration."

The kick to the chest caught him off-guard; he was thrown into the wall, coughing and gasping for air.  
"Don't get cute with me, Hatter- I haven't got the time." Marcus snarled. The sneer in his voice had been replaced by pure venom. "I _know _you've been to see Alice; I know you too well. It's the only reason you'd come here."

Percy shook his head. "You don't know me at all, Knave."  
CRACK.

The whip flicked just past his ear- the sound loud enough to leave them both ringing. Percy's heart was pounding- that was fast. Bloody fast. He glanced at his ankles and swore under his breath- they too were chained to the wall. The room was small and he was already injured... there was no way he could evade these blows...

"Frightened, are we?" the Knave drawled. "The next one will hurt much, much more. _Where is Alice?_"

Percy didn't expect mercy from his former friend. He didn't want it. The only thing he could think of, at that moment, was Alice.

He'd be damned before he'd let the Knave have her.

So he set his face in a glare and snarled,

"I'll never tell you."

CRACK.

He cried out when the whip connected with his chest- a line of fire burned into him, and hot blood spattered the floor.

Fates, how can I do this?

_For Alice, you can endure anything. _

The voice in his head was Squirrelbeard's this time- he could feel a ghostly hand squeezing his shoulder, wreathing him in the spicy scent of tea and musty book pages. He didn't even hear Marcus's next question- he filled himself with thoughts of his old master- the man who may as well have been his father.

_You're in love with Alice, aren't you? Then defend her! Don't give in!_

Percy breathed deeply, letting the words steel him.

I would never.

_I know, boy. Not to_ him._ To_ it.

It?  
Then the whip sliced into his chest again, and everything else was driven from his mind.

But his master's presence never wavered.

"Listening now, Hatter? You didn't answer my question. _Where is Alice?"_

"I did." Percy rasped through the pain that made him want to scream. "My answer... is the same. I will _never_ betray Alice to you!"

Marcus laughed derisively.

"You bloody fool. You really think she loves you? _You? _You're a poor urchin- and a mad one that that. She feels _sorry f_or you."

The redness burned in full force around Percy's vision. All he could see was the Knave, he could almost feel the chains snapping beneath his grip, wrapping his hands around Marcus' traitorous throat...  
_No, Percy! Don't let the Madness control you!_

He forced his eyes closed, tried to focus through the pain... the scent of his own blood was intoxicating, fueling the redness that _no... BAD... _not going to think like that...

It was simply too tempting. The thought of letting himself go, relinquishing control to the voices that promised blood and freedom and _revenge_... it was too much. He couldn't break these chains without letting the Madness' dark fire control his limbs.

He'd be unconscious, he knew. He wouldn't even have to think about what would happen, when his eyes turned black. He wouldn't be responsible for Marcus' death.

_But you will pay for it the rest of your life. _

His master shook his shoulder gently, jarring him from his thoughts. Oh, he knew himself too well. He'd be able to justify killing the Knave, sure...

But not like this. He'd never live with himself, if he did it like this. In brutal, animalistic anger.

And the look of terror in Alice's eyes whenever his went black was enough to make him physically sick. She tried so hard to protect him from this...

_And you'd throw it all away, would you?_

"NEVER!"

He was knocked to the ground again- he hadn't even remembered getting up, he realized.

"You're even madder than I thought. _You_ are the one betraying Alice- dashing into Overland to kidnap her from her home. If anyone's protecting her, it's me. From you." said the Knave.

"Now be a good boy and tell me where she is. You'll be doing her a favor, trust me- I might even put a good word in at your trial."

Percy laughed bitterly.

"Trial? Brilliant- I was expecting a vigilante execution. Has Lady Luck finally forgiven me?"

Another lash silenced him, and he had to grit his teeth to suppress a scream.

He would never give the Knave the satisfaction. Not even if it killed him.

"I'm losing my patience, Hatter." he snarled. _"Where is she?"_

"You may as well kill me, Knave." he said simply, "You're wasting your time. I won't betray Alice, not to you, not to anyone."

The Knave sighed- and for a shocked moment, Percy thought he might have been legitimately sad.

Then he spoke, and any doubts about the Knave's nature were tossed from his mind.  
"That's really tough, then. I had hoped to do this the easy way... Mewonders what Alice would be willing to do, to keep the stripes off your chest? I'm sure she'll come running, when she hears you're-"  
"NO!"

He leapt up from the floor, ignoring the slicing pain from his wounds. He stretched the chains as far as they would go, until he was only a few feet away from the Knave.  
"No. Leave Alice alone- it's me you're mad at. I took her from you, remember?"

He was more than ready for another lash- anything to keep thoughts like that at bay. He could stand anything- anything, but seeing Alice in _his _arms, willingly or not...

It was more than he could bear.

And blast it, the Knave knew it. He grinned maliciously.

"Oh yes, I know how to hit where it _really_ hurts. You see, Hatter, the good guys don't win- the bad guys just screw up. They get arrogant, they leave their enemies alive. Or, they let the heroine keep enough of her mind to save the hero. I won't make that mistake."

Percy's blood ran cold.

Squirrelbeard...

_Stay calm, boy. Let him talk- he doesn't have Alice yet, he's trying to goad you into doing something stupid._

"Figured it out, yet?" Marcus jibed. He strode up to the chained Hatter and whispered something in his ear.* Percy could feel the color draining from his face.

No. Even the Knave couldn't dare to attempt something so evil, an act that broke every law, written and unwritten, in all of Wonderland...

"You... you baskrell!" Percy cried incredulously. "After everything she's done for you? You know the law as well as I do- you can kill her like that!"

"I won't let her die, Hatter. Of that, you can be sure." the Knave growled. "But you... oh, you will suffer a fate worse than death. I won't do anything to you- I'll just keep you alive, just enough, in the deepest recesses of the dungeons, and allow you to watch us as we live out our blissfully happy lives as the King and Queen of Wonderland. Will she be able to recognize your face? I hope not, after-"  
The Knave hit the ground with a THUD as the Hatter hurled himself at him, forcing him to the floor and raining blow upon blow on his face.

"YOU. BLOODY. TRAITOR!" he roared, punctuating each word with a savage punch. "YOU. WON'T. _TOUCH. _ALICE!"

But Percy could do nothing to reinforce his threat. Because, as if on cue, a horde of Club Cards stormed into the cell and dragged him off their master, cursing and struggling. The Knave was conscious, but much the worse for wear- one of his eyes was swollen shut, his nose was broken (again) and bleeding, and angry bruises began to form on his head and neck.

What parts of his face weren't wounded, though, were livid with anger.

"Turn hib aroun' and holl hib still!" he barked thickly, through the break in his nose. The Cards obeyed, seizing the Hatter by the arms. He knew what was coming- he knew the moment he lost control that he wasn't going to win this fight.

_I'll be right here with you, son. Just be brave. _

Percy nodded silently and thought of all the times his master had said that when he was alive. When Percy was young, and had suffered a nightmare...

He could almost picture the old Hatter's face.

CRACK.

He was six, and he'd just had a terrible nightmare. He tried to act tough, so he cried the whole night under his bed so the old Hatter wouldn't hear.

CRACK.

It hadn't worked. Squirrelbeard walked into his room, pulled the little boy out from under the bed and set him on his lap.

"Now, son, what's wrong?"  
"It was that dream again, Master." he'd sobbed. "The one where it rains dark water."  
CRACK.

"Don't you like the rain?"  
"Yes." he'd said, without hesitation. "But in this one... someone was stuck in it. And he needed help, but he couldn't move. I h-had to watch him d-drown."

CRACK.

"I'll bet that man could swim. He might've just wondered if he could breathe underwater."

"Could he?"  
"Oh, yes. He... he knew what he was doing."

_CRACK._

That one overlapped another slash- he was jolted from his reverie, and the pain returned with enough force to crumple him inward. He fell on his knees with a jarring THUD.

Master, I can't remember the rest.

_Then listen, and I'll tell it for you. _

CRACK

He cried out, and didn't even bother to stop the tears from rolling down his face. But he had to stay awake...

_I told you that the man in your dream hadn't been afraid- he was in the rain for a reason. He wasn't afraid of his fate. But if you ever get a little bit afraid, close your eyes, and I'll always be there to help you. Remember?  
_I do.

_So stay strong, Percy. I will always be watching over you... and Alice. _

The sharp sounds dulled, the cold metal hands that bound him faded into fuzzy nothingness...

But he would not give in. And he would never beg for mercy.

The last thing he could remember seeing before fainting was Alice's laughing face.

Fates, he could use some laughter now.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_*YES, THERE IS A REASON I'M NOT TELLING YOU YET. _

_And the dream Percy had is- not super-important, but it will be brought up again, so don't forget about it! _

_Okay, full torture chapter, by popular/morbid demand. I know it's only 3 pages, but I didn't want to overstretch it. And as for Squirrelbeard being there, well, I figured our poor Hatter would need someone to help him pull through. He's not really seeing Squirrelbeard's ghost there- more like the people who came out of the Resurrection Stone type deal. Except that Percy can't see Squirrelbeard- he can only hear and feel him. And Marcus, obviously, can't. _

_Thanks for reading/reviewing! Suggestions are always taken into consideration- I tried to make your changes, Becca, save for those that won't work with the story. _

_-JadedWarrior_


	6. A Mad Rescue

**LATE AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Yes, Chapter Four sucked ROYALLY. XD I just got so sick of it... but now, on to the next part.

_**Chapter Six: A Mad Rescue**_

"_Bye, bye, boys!" the old woman cried. _

_Max grinned. "Have fun storming the castle!" _

"_Think it'll work?"_

"_It'll take a miracle."_

"_Bye Bye!"_

_-Miracle Max and his wife from the Princess Bride_

The Knave's lip curled in disgust at the Hatter's unconscious form.

"We're not done yet. Throw the water on him!"  
The Cards hastened to obey, but the bloodied Hatter refused to stir. The Knave growled- irritation pricking every pore of his skin.

A Card stepped forward. "Shall we try again, sir?" Marcus winced- he would never get used to his soldiers' grating monotones.

"No." said the Knave. "Clean him up and throw him in with the other one- we'll need them both later. Just bandage him, no healing spells."

The Knave already healed his own injuries and was eager to repay the Hatter in kind- and _he_ didn't have a magic Key to heal him.

"You may have won the battle, Hatter." he muttered, as Percy was dragged from the room. "But you'll neverwin the war."

o-o-o-o-o

If there was one thing Alice hated most, it was not knowing what was going to happen. Even if she couldn't change anything, _knowing_ lent a semblance of control over her life- one that had been rather...tumultuous... lately. She hated nothing more than waiting, watching... _not having a plan._

Or not being privy to whatever ideas Trissalyss had concocted. Alice was sure that the Outlander had done it to spite her- she'd shown little by way of kindness since the beginning. But the others in the group trusted Triss absolutely, so Alice refrained from challenging her outright.

She couldn't stop the ire simmering in her blood, though. The irritation had been building for years- she was never allowed to choose freely. Always, Fate backed her into corners- no one asked her if she wanted a crazy mother and a myriad of crazier 'fathers,' no one told her that the Rabbit was going to lead her into a parallel universe. No one told her that falling for the Hatter would mean Marcus' destruction- the end of their family. No one told her that she was some kind of magic Key-bearer destined to free Wonderland. No one told her that using said Key-power was going to spirit her away from Wonderland and throw everything into chaos.

She was never allowed to know everything that went on, but she had to trust them anyway, make potentially life-threatening decisions anyway, lose the people she loved _anyway. _She never _jumped_ down the rabbit hole. She always had to fall.

_That's not true, Alice. _ she admonished herself. She had no time to feel sorry for herself- she had chosen to follow the Rabbit, and wouldn't have changed it for the world. And everything else...

"Geh reddy." muttered Triss, wresting her from her thoughts. "We're movin' out en a momen'."

Alice nodded curtly- she would just have to trust the Outlander, like the others. And trust that she would have the strength to prise her Hatter from the grasp of his most hated enemy once again.

She stared out from the bushes, wishing she could see through the mansion's walls.

_Just hold on, Percy._

o-o-o-o-o

Inside, the Hatter started awake and immediately wished that he hadn't. His skin burned and throbbed, icy hot tendrils of pain creeping from each slit. He had been bandaged, and was again lying on some kind of hard, stone flooring.

_Ah, but he had his hat back- that was something. _

This time, there was another man in the room with him.

Percy blinked, trying to study the newcomer in the dim light. He looked to be about fifty- a rather portly, short sort of man. His green eyes were wide with fear, and bristly gray hair wrapped around his jaw and the sides of his bald head. A nice, though bland suit, too- likely the owner of the mansion/castle/prison that he'd found himself in. But there was something almost... familiar about him.

"P-please. Don't hurt me." the man whimpered, shrinking deeper into the corner. The Hatter blinked- realizing that he must have been staring. He wondered absently what color his eyes were.

"Sorry. Is this your house?"  
"Y-yes." said the man quietly. "Those... those _freaks _barged in here a few weeks ago and kidnapped me. I don't know what they've done with my wife and dog... m-my name's Robert Preston."

_Preston. So he's related to Alice- explains the familiarity. They've got almost the same nose..._

He winced again as a fresh wave of pain washed over him, threatening to throw him back into unconciousness.

"Look, Mr. Preston... do you know a way out of here? A key, a loose bolt in the door, anything?" said Percy quickly. He knew that they had very little time- he had to find Alice before the Knave did, or worse, before Alice came looking for_ him._

He would not lose her again. Not on his account.

The older man shook his head.  
"No, sorry... I hardly go down into the cellars- not since we moved in. It's usually our housekeeper's job."

He glanced from Percy to the door constantly, as if hoping it would open and allow him an escape. The Hatter rolled his eyes.

"I know I look... a little scary, okay? My eyes change color- can't help it. How long have I been out?"  
"A few hours." squeaked Mr. Preston. "I heard... what did they _do_ to you, boy?"

The pain was preventing him from thinking at his usual level of lucidity- the Voices grew louder, and strange colors flashed in front of his eyes just when he thought he'd gotten something straight...

_Focus!_

"I was tortured for information about Alice." he said curtly, trying to ignore his throbbing head. Robert gasped. "But, Alice... so _she's _caused all this?"  
"None of this is Alice's fault!" he growled. "And if we don't want the people who captured us to get ahold of her, we need to move. Now."  
This time, it was the older man's turn to scoff.

"Are you kidding? You can't even stand. We're both bound and locked in a cellar underground- the best we can hope for is for the police to arrive. Do you have a cell phone?"  
"I don't even know what that is!" the Hatter snapped. He couldn't stay awake much longer...

"Listen to me- you've been captured by the Knave of Clubs. He is a mindless monster that will likely kill you when you've outlived your usefulness- frankly, I'm shocked he hasn't killed you already."

The man paled, but pressed on with his questions.

"I managed to unbind myself long enough to write a message... but where would I send it? I don't know who can help, it'll never reach the police in time." he sighed.

The Hatter was forced to agree, and added the message into his mental equation of their situation.

So far, it was something like this:

Knave+Alice'sconcern=bad-rescue+message+Knave's cunning=WE ARE SO DOOMED.

Another wave of pain threw his thoughts back into focus. Now was _not_ the time to slip into the Madness.

"If we could get your message to Alice, could you tell her to stay away?" asked the Hatter. "Tell her to send Triss, anyone. Just not her."

he didn't care how desperate his voice sounded, how feeble the attempt really was. Alice had never willingly abandoned a friend before, and she wasn't about to start now. But how he wished, just this once, that she'd back down and let him protect her. He loved her spirit and determination, but this time, it might get her killed.

And it would be all his fault.  
"Could you get the message to Alice?" he repeated.

The man sighed. "How? I can't exactly mail it from the cell, you know. I don't even know where she is."  
"I might be able to do something- if we could get Cheshire to show up, he could get it to- hang on." said the Hatter suddenly. "You're the one who said that no one could help us. Why are_ you _so eager to get a message to Alice?"

The man didn't need to answer- the look on his face as he slid the revolver from his pocket said everything.  
The Hatter swore a mighty oath,trying in vain to pull himself off the floor.

"Fates above- You're helping him to lure Alice here!" he realized, even as Mr. Preston slipped out of his bonds.

The older man smiled a grim, mirthless smile.

"He'll give me my house back in exchange for information about Alice- and my cooperation in their scheme. It's just a shame you hadn't been more cooperative... but Alice already has the message. All we need to do now is wait. Oh, and I'm not the bait, Hatter." the man laughed.

"You are. "

And with one solid kick, he bashed Percy back into unconsciousness.

He didn't see the pair of gold eyes gleaming in the shadows, though.

_Hmm... this is _most_ interesting..._

o-o-o-o-o

The Knave of Clubs came prepared for everything. After all, he was attempting to rule a land of mad people through the use of force- and fewer and fewer of them appreciated it. He was always ready to squash insurrections, deal with the antics of maddened hares, and put annoying Warrenmasters in their places. He even knew how to deal with Wonderland's most unpredictable man, the Mad Hatter.

But the Knave was absolutely and totally unprepared for what a Card suddenly told him.

"Sir, it appears that the mansion has been... infiltrated."  
"By what?" he demanded.

"Cats, sir. Thousands of them."

o-o-o-o-o

"RUN! RUN, LITTLE KITTIES RUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUN!"

A flash of brown fur whizzed by Alice as the March Hare circled back, screeching happily. A veritable tide of cats followed in his wake, a wave of fur and mewling bodies buffeting cards and making a ruckus in the mansion. The Hare had been more than willing to let them rub him down with Wonderlandian catnip, and once they'd gotten him to stop licking himself, things worked brilliantly. Florence and the Tweedles ran beside him, banging about and making a spectactular distraction.

"CAN YOU SAY MEOWMEOWMEOW?" screeched Marchy. "MEEEEeeEEOOOOW-"  
Alice could barely restrain her laughter- the Cards were utterly and completely dumbfounded. She didn't even_ want_ to know where the cats had come from.

But right now, they had a job to do.

She took off after Triss down the hallway, looking for the Hatter.

It was about here that their planning had ended, but there was no time for that now. The moment they'd heard that her uncle and the Hatter were being held in the cellars, they'd made for the mansion. The Knave was supposed to be out, but they still had precious little time-

"Found et!" cried Triss. She wrenched open the door, revealing a set of rickety stairs. Cool dampness wafted up from them- these were cellars, all right.  
_I'm coming, Percy._

They took the stairs two at a time, slipping and sliding at the bottom, so quickly were they running. Triss' steps were unnaturrally fast, and Alice puffed behind her as she dashed down the hall, nearly missing-

"TRISS!"  
"Someone 'ad betteh beh dyin', Alice!"

"The door?"  
The Outlander blinked, dumbstruck. Alice stood next to an oaken door, so faded that it blended with the surrounding stone.

_Looks like Uncle Rob didn't put much into the building of the cellars. _

Triss muttered something darkly in Outlandish and tramped towards her.

"'Knew 'at was there." she muttered. Alice rolled her eyes, but Triss didn't catch it- she was otherwise occupied.

CRACK!

Her foot connected with the door and it tore from the wall instantly, falling to the ground in pieces.

The two women shoved their way through and were met with an appalling sight.

Her Hatter lay on the ground, small and broken like a discarded doll. His shirt and hat were gone, and the crude cloth bandages swathing his chest and back were stained with blood. More trickled from the back of his head.

Alice could feel her heart breaking.

"Percy, what did they _do _to you?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve." said a familiar voice. Alice spun on her heel and tore her sword from it's sheath.

"You- Uncle Rob?" she gasped.

She glanced from her uncle to the gun he held and immediately understood.

"I can't believe this."

"_Ah_ can." muttered Triss. She drew a long sword from a sheath- it appeared to be made of two strips of woven metal.

"Nowh, if yeh don' mind, ah'd like tae begin th' vigilante justice now." her eyes burned orange, a manic grin on her face.

The man paled, but kept a hold on his weapon.

"Uncle Rob, please." said Alice calmly. "Whatever the Knave promised you, you won't get it. He's going to kill you as well as..." she couldn't even finish that thought. No. Percy was NOT dead!

"Please, just put the gun down. I don't want to hurt you."  
He faltered for a moment, and it looked like he was going to lower it... just the smallest bit...

Then his brow furrowed.

"No. NO! I have to keep you here until he comes!"

BANG!

Both women threw themselves to the floor as a bullet ricocheted off the wall, blasting a hole in the ceiling.

"What in th' name o' -?"

But the Outlander was silenced by another deafening report.

Alice gritted her teeth and launched herself forward, sweeping her uncle's legs out from under him. More shots peppered the ceiling, but she swiped the gun from his hands. Shock flashed across her uncle's face, but he threw himself on top of Alice, pinning her to the ground. She couldn't breathe, her face crushed to the ground, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't-

"OH, _NAE_, YEH DON'T!" roared Triss. Suddenly the weight disappeared, and Alice could suck in lungfuls of sweet air.

"T-Thanks-"  
But her next sentiments were drowned in a sudden crash from above- and the pained screeches of a Hare.

"Triss, they've-"

But the warrioress had already thrown her uncle to the ground and tore out of the room, screaming,

"OI! HOW 'BOUT YEH PICK ON SOMEONE YER OWN SIZE, YEH URPAL SLACKING-"

Then Robert lunged again and Alice went down hard.  
"NO!" she cried. There was no time for this- everything had gone wrong...

If he bleeds to death, I'll kill you, Knave!

Alice shoved her uncle away and onto his back, twisting his arm behind him. He screamed in pain, and she winced.

"Sorry, but you brought this on your-"  
BANG.

His struggles suddenly stopped, and Alice immediately registered three things.

The revolver she'd taken from him was not on the floor, where she'd left it.

The Knave of Clubs was standing in the doorway, holding it.

Her uncle was dead.

Marcus' face was red with exertion, his chest heaving- but a manic grin was plastered on his face.

"Ah. Hello, Alice- these handguns are really wonderfully convenient. Don't you think?"

Alice released her uncle's lifeless body and slowly backed away from the door. She glanced around.

No other doors or windows other than the one the Knave's standing by, no one to call for help...

She was trapped.

"What have you done with Triss and the others?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice level.

She would not betray her fear. Not to _him. _

"Nothing heinous, I assure you- my Cards should be dealing with them as we speak."  
The frenzied sounds upstairs were growing louder- and to Alice's horror, she detected less meowing and more screaming.  
The Knave smiled- a twisted, horrible thing that made his eyes glint like ice.

"No need to be afraid, Alice- I'm not going to hurt you. I've come to take you home."

She scoffed.  
"Don't insult my intelligence. You're not doing any of this for my own good. Release my Hatter and let us leave."

Genuine hurt flashed in his eyes for a moment, and in them, she could've swore she saw...

No. _He_ was gone, quick as a flash.

"You've made a mistake, Alice." he said simply. "He is not _your Hatter_. He is a criminal, and he was trying to harm you. But come quietly, and I will spare his life."

She glanced back at his body- he was still breathing. Right? Please, let him still be breathing...  
"What did you _do _to him?" Alice demanded, rage tightening her limbs. How _dare_ they hurt Percy, the gentlest creature in both worlds...

"Nothing less than he deserved." said the Knave curtly. Alice scoffed.

"Yeah- heard that one. Try again."

The screams rang out again from upstairs, and she winced. The Knave was unmoved.

"Put the sword away, Alice, and listen to me. It doesn't have to end this way- I have no desire to kill you or... _most _of your friends." he said quietly, shooting Percy a heated glare.

Alice stepped forward. There was no reasoning with this man, not after what he'd done to the Hatter. Wounds like his didn't come from Wendelclaws. They came from those learned in the art of torture...

sick, twisted people who pulled wings from butterflies and enjoyed inflicting pain.

People like the Knave of Clubs.

There was only one thing to do.  
"I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to." she said quietly, cold fire in her gaze. The Knave laughed mirthlessly.

"Please. You won't kill another human, Alice. Not on purpose."  
"You're not human." she snarled. "You're an animal. A dangerous animal that needs to be destroyed."

Marcus' eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Bold words, Alice, but they won't save you now. Put your sword down, or I'll finish what I started- _your Hatte_r isn't much longer for this world, anyway."

"Must all disagreements end in violence?"

Both of them jumped as Percy's eyes snapped open- but they were a slitted yellow, rather than orange.

Alice grinned.

"Cheshire."

A swirl of pink smoke, and the Hatter's wounded body disappeared. A magenta Cat floated lazily in the air between them, and his trademark grin was a bit more of a leer as he stared at the dumbstruck Knave.

"Ah, that was fun. The silly old man didn't even notice the switch."

The Knave was wholly incoherent with shock- his mouth opening and closing mutely.

Cheshire's grin, if possible, widened. "Oh yes, I do love impersonating Hatters in need... though I was blue last time."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "You can change colors?"  
"I'm a cat. If I wish to change my hue, a little thing like the laws of physics aren't going to stop me."  
His chortles subsided quickly, though. "Your friends are safe, Alice- and I think now would be a good time to leave. Don't you?"  
"Absolutely."

The look on the Knave's face, as the color slowly flooded it, was priceless.

"You... it... I'LL KILL THAT CAT!"

Cheshire wound around Alice's shoulders just as the Knave lunged, but in vain! A satisfied purr and a rush of smoke, and they both faded into blackness.

_Ha. Take that, you slurvish traitor. _

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Yes- Cheshire to the rescue! :D In case it wasn't clear, he evaporated with Alice at the end, and would've switched with the Hatter shortly after he was knocked out. He also evaporated the others away. Triss is fun to write- though her accent can sometimes be... tricky. XD Review, please?  
_

_Thanks for reading! _

_JadedWarrior_


	7. Out of the Frying Pan

_**Chapter Seven: Out of the Frying Pan**_

"_Can anyone tell me what_ foreshadowing_ means?"_

_-Snape, from AVPM_

The moment Alice and Cheshire rematerialized alone in the woods, she rounded on him.

"Where's Percy?"

"I don't even get a thank you?" drawled the cat. If he'd had eyebrows, he would have raised them. Color rose in Alice's cheeks.

"Sorry, Cheshire. I'm just... worried about the others."

The Cat smirked. "Anyone in _particular_?"  
Her face grew redder and she cuffed the cat playfully over the ear.

"Stop it, you silly creature!"

He rolled his eyes, drifting lazily out of the clearing.

"Oh, all right. But you are such _fun_ to tease... I evaporated the others to a safer location."

He chuckled, as if at a private joke. "I'll take you to the Hatter and the Hare, but that's the end of it..."

"Wait- where are we, Cheshire?"

Alice glanced at their surroundings- it was all too drab for Wonderland... wasn't it?  
"In another part of the forest- 'far, but not too far,' as Triss put it." said the Cat. "Even _I_ can't evaporate other creatures between worlds. I'm afraid that if you wish to return, you're going to need to use other means..."

The cat vanished and reappeared several yards away, his too-large grin glittering in the twilight.

"Coming?"

Alice smiled. "Of course. Just one question, though, Cheshire- does... is Percy really that wounded, or was that part of your illusion, too?"  
Cheshire's grin faltered.

"Perhaps... it would be better if you found that out on your own."

0-0-0-0

Alice almost wished she hadn't asked. The Cat disappeared as she walked into camp, and frankly, she couldn't blame him. Every member of the group looked exhausted and shaken- Florence was nursing a nick in his right ear, and even the boisterous Tweedles had quieted, trying to console a silent, traumatized March Hare. Alice's heart twisted with guilt at the sight. (Oh, why had she let him lead the cats?) But it was the man lying in the center of the clearing that broke her heart the most.

Hatter. Her poor, foolish, injured Hatter. Cheshire had skirted all questions about the Hatter's condition, and now she knew why: he was covered in blood, and some of it didn't look to be his. His chest and back were almost completely covered in crimson-stained linen, and the shadows around his eyes were dark and sickly-looking. Triss knelt beside him, changing his bloodstained bandages and murmuring a stream of Ourlandish under her breath. For a long moment, Alice could do nothing but stare- and in a distant corner of her mind, she wondered what kind of animal could do this to another human being. Another human being as gentle and brave as her Hatter.

"Percy?" she whispered. Triss hand tightened around the bandage she was holding.

"Naught fer usal*. 'E won' wake." she growled, her brogue thick and eyes yellow-orange with worry. Yellow-orange... a shade that should've been staring at her through a different pair of eyes...

Alice shuddered and wordlessly moved to help Triss change the dressings. The Outlander's eyes narrowed, but Alice continued doggedly.

Her friends were traumatized, the Knave was aboveground, and her Hatter was nearly dead.

Triss could be as angry as she wanted, for all Alice cared.

She peeled back another old bandage and winced- the slash was deep and ragged, running right across his chest.

_The type of wound made by a... Fates above._

They had tortured her Hatter. He had done all this, let himself be injured so horribly, for _her._

She blinked back her tears. At that moment, she decided that the next time she met the Knave of Clubs, she was going to kill him.

Slowly.

"The Knave did this." Alice snarled. "No one else would have... would have whipped so horribly. The bastard _tortured_ him."

The Outlander jerked her head in what was almost a nod.

"Aye. An' the _urpal slurking mordell vlutt _will _pay_." she growled.

Alice wasn't sure what that meant in Outlandish, but she wholeheartedly agreed.

"A-alice? Squirrel..."

Percy's words were so quiet, she might have missed them, had the campsite not been so quiet. His eyes flickered open- a sickly gray-orange color. But it was a start...

"...am I dreaming?" he whispered, wincing as Triss pressed on another bandage.

"No, you're not." she whispered. "Cheshire saved us- all of us. Don't you remember?"

"Nope." said the Hatter simply. "Was I supposed to?"

"You mean... you don't remember what happened to you _at all_?"

She wasn't surprised that he had no memory of his apparent torture, but of the Mansion itself? She shuddered, thinking of the Key and what horrors the Knave might've inflicted upon him...

Percy suddenly stiffened- his auburn irises cooled to a melancholy steel.

_Oi. Focus. _

"Percy?" she murmured. "Are you still with me?"  
"I..." suddenly, he trailed off, and for a horrifying moment, his irises burned jet black. Then they shot back to gray.

"...no." he finally managed to say. "I mean..._yes_, but no, I don't remember anything. There was some kind of castle, and I definitely remember birds... but not much after those."

Alice wordlessly resumed where she'd left off with the bandages, frowning. She studied him for a long moment, but he appeared absolutely genuine.

"Percy, I don't want to scare you... but it looks like you've been whipped. Brutally." said Alice quietly. "You don't remember any of that?"

The Hatter's eyes flashed black again, but it was so brief, Alice might've imagined it.

"I-I'm sorry, Alice, I just don't remember. I feel like I _should,_ but... it's just..."

"Don't worry about it." said Alice quickly. "It's probably not something you'd want to remember, anyway."

"I guess-ow!"

Percy flinched as Triss prodded rather hard at one slash with her washrag. He flashed her a wry grin. "You might've missed it, Triss, but the fight's over. No using rags as weapons..."

Further words were smothered by the Outlander's burning glare.

Red. Her eyes were_ red. _

"Yeh could'a died. _Died_, yeh bluddy fool!" she snarled. "What were yeh _thinkin, _fightin' Wendelclaws on yer own?"

Alice had never heard any words spat with such vehemence.  
"I wasn't on my own- I was with Alice." Percy said coolly, when he'd found his voice again. He met the Outlander's furious glare unflinchingly- even Alice shrunk from the pure fire in her eyes. She'd never seen her this close to losing control- annoyed? Sure. But nothing approaching this level of _murderous_...

_What is _up_ with her? _

"Oh? And how useful was she in that fight, eh? Abou' as useless as _yeuw _were! 'An ye let yeself beh caught!"

"Hey, would you knock it off, Triss?" Alice snapped, stung. "It wasn't our fault, we were ambushed-"

"Exactleh!" she cried, jabbing a finger at her. "Ambushed! And were yeh prepared fer an ambush? _Nae!_ If yeh'd_ listened_ to meh, instead of gettin' yeself chucked in jail- _without_ tellin' anyone-"

"You would never have let me go if I'd told you." growled the Hatter. His eyes were still orange, but tension crackled at the edges of his words. "I had to find Alice by _any means necessary- _and if that meant letting myself be arrested, so be it. I'm none the worse for wear."  
"None th' worse for- 'ave yeh_ looked _at yehself?" Triss spluttered, looking quite beside herself. "They put yeh through _'ell_, 'Atter!"

"Fighting isn't solving anything, Triss." said Alice, her own temper mounting. "This wasn't Percy's fault- it's wasn't anybody's fault! You need to stop yelling, and-"  
"Ah think ahm gonna yell 'til ahm good 'an finished, Alice." the Outlander muttered darkly. "So stuff a sock in et."  
"Triss," warned Percy, his eyes bordering on red. "Stop this. We can't change the past."

"But yeh 'aven't even _learned _from et, yeh bleedin' idiet! First yeh get yehself locked up-"  
"I knew what I was doing."

"-then yeh tramp through Elsewhere, doin' Fates _know_ what-"  
"I was looking for Alice."  
"-and then yeh get intae a fight wyth Wendelclaws an' don't even _call fer help_!"  
"We had things under control!"

"AN LOOK WHA' 'APPENED TAE YEH!" she screamed, her eyes a blood red. She let the silence thicken for a moment before she scoffed and turned away.

"Ahm wastin' my time. Jus' remember, Hatteh- there won' always beh cats around tae save yeh. Better star' usin ye head, or ye won' have one."

And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the clearing.

"What was that about?" Alice snapped the moment Triss was out of earshot. Percy shook his head, wincing.  
"It's her way of showing how worried she is." he chuckled halfheartedly. "She's a lot like you, Alice. Hates being helpless..."  
Alice opened her mouth indignantly, ready to tell him _in no uncertain terms_ that she was _nothing_ like the tempermental, waspish Outlander, but the Hatter's zinnia gaze was fading to a burnt iron- now was not the time to continue the argument.

"She wanted to travel with me. To find you." he continued quietly. "But I didn't want to put her in harm's way... I dunno if I could've snuck two people through the Door in the castle. So I didn't tell anyone about it. Then with the Wendelclaws..."

He glanced down at his bound chest and sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Alice. I've been a fool, and I've put my friends in danger- I put _you_ in danger."

Alice placed her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"I thought we agreed that this wasn't your fault."  
He sighed, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were lighter, but still decidedly gray.

"Triss was right... I should've called for help. I should've known that the Knave would post sentries in the area."  
Alice rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Percy. What would they have been able to do against a pair of giant, flying birds? Triss might've been able to help us, but the others? The Wendelclaws could've easily carried off Marchy or the Tweedles, and they would have been killed or used as hostages."

The Hatter said nothing. Alice continued doggedly,

"And did _I_ say anything about guards, either? No. If we made a bad decision by not asking for help, it was my fault as well. _Stop beating yourself up about it!" _

Percy grinned in spite of himself.

"All right. But you know, I think Triss is rubbing off on you."

Alice grumbled incoherently under her breath- eliciting a series of chortles from the Hatter.

He gave her hand one last squeeze before letting his eyes drift closed. Alice smiled, content for a moment to watch the steady rise and fall of his chest as he drifted off- breathing a long sigh of relief.

_Percy is alive. Not unscathed, but alive, and back in the place where he belongs._

But she only allowed herself a moment's reprieve, because, you see, that last one was a lie.

The Mad Hatter _wasn't _where he belonged. He was lying- broken and_ lucky_ to be alive- in an entirely different world.

Alice's hand tensed in his.

He was too bright for this place- too alive. He didn't belong here, and neither did Marchy, or the Tweedles, or Triss.

_Triss._

Alice bit her lip, remembering the Outlander's angry outburst. The moment Alice thought she could see a crack in Triss' tough-girl facade, it vanished in an angry glare or a drawn dagger. She was an enigma. (Which was really saying something, as Alice had spent most of her life among the maddest creatures in existence.) But she couldn't help but feel that there was... _more_ to this. More to the Outlander's anger. Something she almost grasped that continually slipped through her fingertips... something that had happened during the last four years in Wonderland.

How long had Triss known Percy? Was that part of the past he was hiding from her- more things he didn't want to remember?

And did she have any right to press either of them?

Alice sighed, letting her hand slip from her Hatter's.

No. She didn't. But something- be it intuition or a whispering on the wind, told her that she would find out... and sooner rather than later.

"Alice?"

Cheshire's rich drawl was strangely subdued as he floated into the clearing, familiar top hat and shirt in tow. He dropped them by the Hatter's sleeping form without so much as a smirk.

"Almost forgot these. Is he...?"

"Alive. Barely." said Alice curtly. "But better than he was before."

Cheshire shook his head, the ghost of a smile again on his face.

"Hatters are perplexing creatures, Alice. They're more perceptive than anyone gives them credit for, and blasted stubborn when they've a mind to be."

He chuckled.

"Oh yes... don't be surprised if this one tries to head after the Knave himself tomorrow. If he's anything like his great-grandfather was, he'll give as good as he's gotten."

Alice raised an eyebrow.

"And who was his great-grandfather, Cheshire? I never thought you were_ that_ old..."  
The Cat chuckled, but Alice knew that look- the look of one who knew _far_ more than he let on.

"Cheeky as ever, hmm? I'm nearly as old as Wonderland herself. And for your information,_ your _Hatter's great-grandfather was Tarrant Hightopp. The Hightopp clan might've moved out of the Outlands before he was born, but the man was an Outlander, through and through. And so is Percy... he'll see that the Knave gets his comeuppance."

Alice's smile was more like a feral grimace.

"He won't be the only one avenging the Knave... but he's not going _anywhere_ for a while: I don't care _how _fast Wonderlanders heal."  
Cheshire swept over the sleeping Hatter one more time with his yellow gaze, grinning wryly.

"Good luck with that one. You'll need all your muchness back for that... but Alices always find it, in the end." he chuckled to himself, as if entertaining a private joke. "Fairfarren, Alice..."

"Fairfarren, Cheshire."

And with that, the cat vanished, leaving Alice alone with her thoughts.

0-0-0-0

Angry was wholly insufficient to describe the Knave of Clubs the moment Cheshire and Alice disappeared. The Knave was utterly and absolutely_ livid. _For nearly an hour, no Card dared to approach the cellar- the sounds of shattering glass and the Knave's screams could be heard all throughout the mansion. They shook the very foundations with their fervor.

"HOW. COULD. THIS. _HAPPEN_?" he cried, slamming open the door to the kitchen. Spit flew at the Cards- and even they flinched.

"Get. Alice. Back." he growled, a vein throbbing in his temple. "AND KILL THAT DAMNED CAT!"

"Sir, it is impossible to harm the Cheshire Cat." said one of the bolder Cards. He was incapable of fear, but his legs shook anyway.

The Knave stalked up to him slowly, murder in his eyes. All of the other Cards shrunk from the pure bloodlust in his glare.

"You'd better find a way, soldier." he snarled, each word solid ice. "Because if I don't have Alice back, in this house, in twenty-four hours, I will _personally_ melt you down for scrap metal."

The Card made an undignified scramble to rejoin its companions. The Knave rounded on the rest of them, voice dangerously soft. "I want the Hatter too... and there's no need to be gentle with him."  
A horrid, manic grin slowly spread across his face. He laughed- and his sudden change of mood was enough to unnerve the reticent soldiers. He clutched his sides in his mirth, but there was nothing funny about _this_ laugh.

"Ha! I almost forgot who we're dealing with. Alice... oh, this will be easier than I thought. You still have the old rabbit in custody, right? Banthrope?"

The lead Card nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Then confiscate his property. Find the entrance to the Warrens they were using and _crush_ it. Alice will come running when she realizes we're her last option- and that idiot Hatter will follow."  
Metal clanked and groaned as the rows of cards filed out of the room, but the din was lost on the grinning Knave.

"You've played hard-to-get long enough, Alice. There's only one way out for you now."

0—0-0-0

Alice needed to walk. She knew that, from the moment she'd walked into camp. She was going to need to walk, and think. The two terms were almost synonymous- she often paced when wrestling with an important issue. It used to drive Amelia crazy...

...but now Alice was the one driving herself insane.

And for once, that wasn't a good thing.

So she checked Percy over one last time and left camp, looking for a quiet place to think.

She'd found solace in a small clearing, and sat herself down upon a hollow log.

They'd rescued Percy, but he had been beaten nearly to death. The rest of them had been badly shaken- and Alice was sure that the Knave would be sending troops after them at that very moment. No matter how Cheshire and the White Rabbit insisted that they were safe, Alice refused to underestimate the Knave. He would chase them to the ends of the earth, and he had a formidable number of resources with which to do it- including the Key.

The Key. It had saved her and Percy in the palace, but was now enslaving an entire kingdom, slowly but surely, all over again.

And in it was the only way back to Wonderland. The White Rabbit had informed her that their window had closed- apparently the issue was technical. But, though none of them would admit it, they were sure that it was the work of the Knave. It surprised no one when Cheshire brought them news of Banthrope's arrest.

They were trapped- and the only the Key could get them back to Wonderland. They had no choice- they had to steal it back, one way or another, and all the Knave would have to do was wait.

He knew it, she knew it. There would be no easy way out this time, no flood of cats or stunts from Cheshire would fool the Knave twice-

Just then, something broke, deep within Alice's mind; some sort of inner dam hiding a flood of the white hot force that surged through her in the palace. But this time it came, not in anger, but in a sudden burst of clarity. Her eyes widened, as if she were seeing the world for the first time.

Enough.

That was the first word she was aware of thinking: enough.

Enough chatter, enough hysteria, enough indecision, enough _walking_. She wasn't a scared sixteen year old that had watched Squirrelbeard die- she was a woman of twenty who was too old for this bloody insecurity. This wasn't a game or a story she could end whenever she liked- this was real. And her dithering was helping no one. An attempted Key-heist would undoubtedly end in disaster and negotiation was fruitless- the Knave would keep no promises, especially where Percy was concerned. Alice refused to beg and plead when it would save no one.

"I am Alice, and I will get us out of this."she vowed. "But I will _not _do it like a fool."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a shrill voice sounded behind her,

"Well, et's about time, isn't et? Took ye long enough ta find ye muchness again."

Alice started and whirled around- but saw no one.

"Wha... who's there?" she demanded. The voice was much too high to belong to Triss, but it was edged with the same fierceness, the same air of command.

"Down_ 'ere_, ya silly girl." the voice chided. Alice glanced at her feet and nearly jumped back in surprise- a white, tunic-clad dormouse stood at her feet, brandishing what appeared to be a hatpin. But there was something... off about her. ("Definitely a 'her,'" Alice decided- there was something distinctly feminine about her voice and appearance.) Her fur was a little _too_ white- glowed a little too much in the weak moonlight... and how many mice had dark eyes that seemed to burn white from the inside?

The Dormouse rolled her eyes. " Yeah, 'ahm dead- bin dead since afore you were born. No need ta stare." she grumbled. " Name's Mallymkun. Call me 'Mally' or I'll stick ye."

Mally's little brow furrowed, but Alice didn't miss the twinkle of affection in them.

"We was real worried 'bout ye, Alice- looked like the fall through the bloody Queen's window knocked the muchness right outta ye."

The Dormouse grinned, then, all traces of ire gone. "But now et's back!"

"Muchness?" Alice echoed. "What do you mean?"

The word rang familiar, though, and a part of Alice already knew. The Dormouse seemed to sense this- she simply shook her head and said,

"Ye know et if ye'v got et, an' ye do. Et's just... _muchness._ 'Spirit,' ye Elsewherians'd call et. It's a part o' ye."

_A part of me._

Alice needed no further explanation- there simply wasn't one. It was the fire, the drive, the force that had possessed her moments ago and in the palace, and that, if she really thought about it, had simmered in her blood for as long as she could remember. It almost frightened her, when it burned with such powerful force... but then she remembered what it allowed her to do- who it allowed her to save, and her fear evaporated. The Dormouse appeared to sense this, too.

"Good, ye learn quick. But ye've found yeself in a righ' pickle, 'aven't ye?"

Alice nodded, not bothering to ask how she knew.  
"Well, ah can 'elp, if ye'll let me. Ah've come wit' a message from Wonderland 'erself..."

Alice's wide eyes stretched wider and wider as Mallymkun the Dormouse outlined her idea- which in the simplest sense, could be called 'wildly dangerous.' It was shrewd, cunning, and entirely likely to fail.

But it was also brave, believable, and the only option left to them.

For a long moment, Alice couldn't find her voice- and her indecisiveness flared again in her head, like the buzzing of so many flies.

_Do this and there's no going back, you'll get yourself killed, you'll get_ him_ killed- you're jumping into this without understanding it._

Alice pinned that particular thought down and let the others fade away. So she was afraid because she didn't know what was going to happen- sounded about right, she mused. She was terrified, and she didn't understand... but she trusted Mallymkun, her friends... herself?

She took a deep breath and met the Dormouse's dark gaze.

"How do we start?"

Mallymkun wordlessly handed her the hatpin sword, and Alice took it with the determined foreboding of the first step of any adventure.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

0—0—0-0

Triss had been dreading the walk back into camp. The moment she'd turned and stormed out of the clearing, she knew she would have to return and suffer the inevitable apology. At the time, she hadn't cared: let Alice _try_ to make her apologize- she'd show the slatternly tove what an Outlander's rage _really_ looked like.

But once the heat in her blood had cooled a little and she'd stormed nearly a mile from their clearing, she realized what a_ quagmire_ she'd found herself in: she couldn't stay out in the woods without worrying her friends and risking their safety while they searched for her, or her own, should the Knave's Cards be roaming about. She couldn't go back without apologizing.

Triss wasn't sure which was worse- an attack from the Knave, or apologizing to Alice.

But she was leaning towards the latter.

Her predicament merely rekindled the sparks of irritation, and just when she was considering punching the nearest tree, a too-familiar figure walked into her clearing.

Triss' fists clenched.

_Speak of the Devil, eh? _

"Get ye gone, Alice." she growled menacingly, hitting her with the full force of her fiery gaze.

Nothing. Triss should have expected it- Alice had spent too long with the Mad Hatter to be intimidated that easily. She made a mental note to smack Percy for that later.

"I'm not leaving." said Alice sharply. "Not until you give me some answers."

_That _got Triss' attention. She could almost feel her eyes darkening as she rounded on the blonde.

"May'aps yeh should _earn_ em, yeh _guddler slurker._" she growled. Alice's eyes narrowed- the Outlander was almost amused. Triss didn't care if Alice was a Champion or the bloody Queen of Hearts- if she thought she could strut about giving orders, she had another thing coming.  
"I don't appreciate your language." said Alice waspishly. "I happen to know what_ that _means in Outlandish."

"I don't 'appen to care."

"You should." Alice snapped. "Why are you so callous? I just wanted you to answer a few questions." The Outlander took savage joy in the flash of hurt in her eyes. Let Alice suffer- if it wasn't for her blasted sentimentality, they wouldn't be in this mess; the Knave would be dead on the floor and they'd all be back in Wonderland.

"Tell me how you met Percy, Triss." demanded Alice. The Outlander's brow knotted above her nearly red eyes.  
"Jealous, are we?"

She catalogued the little flash of pain in Alice's gaze there, too- though Triss could never know that Alice was not thinking of Percy's time in the Outlands, but of three best friends, torn apart in a courtyard a lifetime away...

When the blonde's gaze refocused, it was filled with malice.

"What do I have to be jealous of? You're a redneck Outlander who steals anything that isn't bolted to the ground- and an orphan to boot. Tell me, did the Knave have to actually _look _for your family, or could she smell them before-"  
Alice could say no more before Triss seized her by the throat and threw her against a tree, dagger drawn and face a mask of cold fury. Her fiery red eyes were inches from Alice's own.

"_Take... et... back._" she snarled. "_Nouw._"

Alice glared back with equal intensity.

"Not until you tell me the truth!"

It was then that Triss did something she would regret for the rest of her life.

Her hand, almost of it's own accord, tightened on the dagger and slashed across Alice's cheek, leaving a long, shallow wound. She would've slit the blasted girl's throat, but the thought of the Hatter's heartbroken fury stayed her hand. Triss wasn't going to be the one to take Alice from him again.

But she didn't regret wounding the Alice for the girl's own sake, or for fear of the Hatter.

It was because the girl smiled a sad, slow smile, and brushed a bit of the blood off her cheek. She rolled up her sleeve and- Triss nearly swore aloud- revealed an intricate pattern of lines and shapes woven in fresh scabs on her right arm, twisting into the shape of a Key near her elbow. She touched her bloody fingers to the center of the key and the marks rippled on her skin, darkening into bloody, ink-colored lines.

"Blood of the Bearer, fruit of the enemy." she recited quietly. "Sweetest revenge served cold on a blade."

Triss' eyes widened like saucers, instantly a light, ashen yellow. She recoiled from Alice as if burned.

"Nae." she whispered, shock and terror nearly choking her voice. "Nae, Alice, dinnae do this!"

Triss cursed herself for a thousand different kinds of an idiot- she'd fallen quite neatly into the trap. She'd been so angry, she hadn't stopped to think about Alice's sudden, unexplained aggression... the way she knew_ exactly_ how to make Triss angry enough to... to...

"I have to do it, Triss." said Alice quietly, her voice totally devoid of all emotion. "I won't let any more of you get hurt."

Triss almost screamed with the frustration- and clenched her muscles so hard they hurt to prevent her from beating the daylights out of Alice.

"Alice, ye daft fool! Do ye even know what ye've _done_? "

"No." said Alice simply. "I don't know everything about what I've done. But I know enough, and I'm going to use this to help all of you. You know as well as I do that the Knave has us trapped."  
Triss growled low in her throat, again drawing her knife.

"Ah cannae believe this. All o' this, jus'tae be lef' under another th' rule o' another Queen o' 'Earts."

Alice's eyes narrowed.

"You know I don't want the throne. I just want to challenge the Knave."

"An' ye _cannae_ win, Alice!Ye dunno 'ow powerful 'e is- ye won' beat 'im without th' Key!" Her tone darkened. "Ye won' win. And when ye ge' yeself killed, ye'll take th' 'Atter with ye."

The pain in Alice's gaze was genuine this time, and Triss made no move to stop it. Let her feel the consequences of her actions.

"Ye know as well as ah do that 'e won' survive losin' ye again." muttered Triss darkly. "Et'll_ break_ 'im. Do ye wanna beh responsible fer 'at, Alice? Do ye even _care_?"

Those last words stung. Alice could feel them stinging in her wet eyes, too, but she blinked the tears back- now was not the time.

"I care more than you will ever understand." growled Alice. "But I will follow through with this."  
She made to step past her, out of the clearing, but Triss sidestepped her, a feral grimace on her face.

"Recant th' blood vow." she snarled. "Ah'll nae le' ye do this."

"I can't recant it, Triss." said Alice quietly. "I've already sealed it with the Blood of Revenge."

The Outlander took a step forward, and Alice recanted her original assessment: this was the angriest she'd ever seen her.

"Dannae lie tae me- th' spirit ye made th' vow tae can release ye. Ah'll nae let ye leave this place till ye've found whatever slithing urpal slurking-"  
"Triss, that's going to be rather difficult." interrupted Alice. "I didn't make the vow with a spirit. I made it with Wonderland herself."

Triss looked as if she'd been punched in the face- for once in her life, rendered totally speechless.

Alice smiled another sad, slow smile. "I'm sorry for what I said about your family... I didn't mean any of it."

Triss said nothing as Alice walked past her, shouldering determinedly through the brush and out of the clearing. But before Alice had left earshot, Triss found her voice again.

"Ah'm nae tellin' im." she said quietly. There was no aggression in her tone, but Alice still froze where she stood. "Deal with th' 'Atter yeself."

Alice stood there with her back turned for a moment, before sighing.  
"Fine. I will."

And with that, she plunged into the woods and out of sight.

0—0—0-0

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

"_AHEMHEMHEM:_

_Can anyone tell me what _foreshadowing_ means?" _

_Kudos to those of you who that get that reference- Becca and KJ don't count, I already know that you guys are obsessed. XD_

_*Actual Outlandish. It means 'It's no use'_

_Yes, you are all being kept in the dark for now. More will be revealed in due time- the next chapter is called 'A Convention of Hatters,' and I'm very excited about it. Becca told me that Alice was too Bella-ish, so I'm going to change that right up. :3 Yeah, I pretty much rewrote most of the Book Two storyline, so updates might take a bit to _

_Please review? _

_-JadedWarrior_

_P.S: This is a rough, though rather humorous alternate scene I wrote before adding in Alice's letter to Percy. This runs along about the same idea, though- I'll post the companion scene to it next chapter. Both scenes were cut during the editing process._

The White Rabbit dashed back suddenly into the clearing- his eyes wide and his chest heaving. He was almost hyperventilating- twitching from his paws to the tips of his ears.

Triss tore her dagger from it's sheath and strode towards him.

"What's 'appened?"  
"Alice... it's... she's gone! Gone, and I don't know when, and for how long or-"  
"Oi! Keep yer voice down!" the Outlander hissed, glancing back at the Hatter's sleeping form. Marchy and the others were snoring beside him.

"How long 'as she been gone?" Triss demanded. Florence's paws shook as he scratched his head.  
"She... um... I don't know. B-but she left camp last night, shortly after you did."

"Did she say where she was goin'?"

"N-no."

Triss swore under her breath. There were many explanations as to why Alice would have left late at night without telling anyone. She could've turned tail and tried to run away, but from what little she knew of Alice, that was unlikely. The second...

_Even Alice wouldnae beh _'at_ stupid. _

There was one very,_ very_ logical explanation as to why Alice had left- truth be told, Triss rather admired her nerve.

But_ fersden_, it was a daft thing to do. And if the Hatter found out...

She shuddered.

"Lissen, rabbet- we've nae much time." Triss muttered. "Alice lef' on a mornin' walk. Ah went huntin', an' we'll both beh back shortleh. 'At's yer storeh- stick to et."

"But- but you want me to _lie_?" gasped the Rabbit. He looked truly scandalized. Triss rolled her eyes.

"Lissen, ye silly beast- see tha' Atter, over there? Nae, don' turn around. 'E is nae asleep. Ah dunno 'ow much 'e 'eard, but ah'm sure 'tis more than enough."

Florence, who had seen Percy's fighting skills firsthand, looked as if he would faint. Triss cast the Hatter a sidelong look and continued,

"If'n ye don't want meh to skin ye, you'll keep 'im in camp. Knock 'im out if ye have to, but _keep 'im here_."

She smirked as the Rabbit's ears drooped.

"Lyin's gonna be th' _least_ o' yer worries, Ah think."


End file.
